Khodabandeh: The Monafeghin has become a threat to Albania’s national security

The Monafeghin, a terrorist cult with a bloody record of assassinating 17,000 Iranian citizens and a long history of treachery through cooperation with Iran’s enemies, is now breathing its final mercenary breaths.

As the group marks the 60th anniversary of its founding, multiple reports and documents confirm that it is in a state of deep crisis. The Monafeghin has become nothing more than a bankrupt, discredited organization. Camp Ashraf-3 in Manëz, Albania, has turned into a stage for escalating internal disputes between members and the group’s leadership.

Reports indicate that the organization is on the verge of structural collapse, surviving only on foreign funding, while simultaneously grappling with intensified internal dissent, waves of defections, the collapse of its credibility among Western backers, and ongoing criminal investigations in Albania.

Internal dissent and leadership crisis

Ebrahim Khodabandeh, a former Monafeghin member and the CEO of the Nejat Society, described the group’s current situation in an interview with Mizan News Agency.

He pointed to growing tensions and internal disputes, noting that Maryam Rajavi recently held an online meeting from Paris with members in Albania in an attempt to suppress their objections. According to Khodabandeh, even senior officials within the group have raised serious doubts about Monafeghin’s positions during Israel’s recent war against Iran. As usual, Rajavi deflected blame onto the members themselves rather than addressing their criticisms.

Khodabandeh stressed that Israel’s aggression against Iran—and the unrealistic expectations fostered by the Monafeghin’s analyses—stood in stark contrast to the powerful resistance of Iran’s armed forces and the unified support of the Iranian people. This contradiction has reverberated inside the Monafeghin, manifesting as painful internal conflicts that the leadership is struggling to contain.

Repression and defections

According to Khodabandeh, many members view the group’s adopted strategies as misguided and have called for a reassessment, forcing Rajavi to convene repressive meetings to quash dissent.

He also revealed the successful escape of a five-member family from Camp Ashraf-3 in recent days, noting that while the group has failed to recruit new members for years, numerous individuals have managed to defect. Preventing further escapes has now become the organization’s main priority.

Criminal investigations in Albania

Khodabandeh also pointed to ongoing criminal investigations against the Monafeghin in Albania, stressing that its presence has consistently posed problems for host countries and become a national security threat. In the past, the group’s presence in Iraq, France, Germany, the UK, and even the United States has caused legal trouble and at times clashes with police.

In June 2023, Albanian police, acting under a judicial order, raided the group’s camp, leading to violent clashes with Monafeghin members.

Albanian media outlets including BIRN and Balkan Insight reported on September 2, 2025, with headlines such as “The Monafeghin’s Stay in Albania Turns Dark”, noting that the group is under criminal investigation for involvement in organized crime, which authorities say poses a direct threat to Albania’s national security.