MEK DEFECTORS TO BE RESETTLED IN TURKEY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000405 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL KREF TU IR IZ SUBJECT: MEK DEFECTORS TO BE RESETTLED IN TURKEY REF: A. BAGHDAD 287 ¶B. 08 ANKARA 1270 Classified By: PolMil MinCouns Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: According to the GOI's lead in Mujahedin e-Khalq (MEK) resettlement issues, Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim, Iranian officials, contrary to recent public statements (ref A),do not want to repatriate MEK defectors to Iran. Instead, the Iranian Embassy will issue passports to all defectors and buy them tickets to Istanbul, where they will receive further assistance from an NGO. One of the two current defectors has already received Iranian passports and is planning to depart for Turkey soon. ICRC officials had told us on February 5 that they believed Iran would repatriate former MEK members, but noted there have not been any repatriations since April 2008. End Summary. -------------- STATUS OF TWO MEK DEFECTORS -------------- ¶2. (S) As a part of the GOI committee handling Mujahedin e-Khalq (MEK) issues, Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim coordinates with international organizations and third countries to resettle defectors. There are currently two defectors, Abbas Badfar and Mekki Rafii, who until February 5 were being housed by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) at the Muthanna M2 facility and cared for by the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR). The MoHR has provided the defectors with money, phones, and clothes, and MoHR teams visit the defectors about once a week. ¶3. (S) Salim told PolOff on February 8 that both defectors moved to the Rasheed Hotel in the International Zone on February 5 and are now in the custody of National Security Advisor Muwafaq al-Rubaie; they were previously under control of the MoD. (Note: Salim noted that there have been many similar examples of "meddling" by Rubaie in other ministries' affairs. She commented that Acting Minister of Justice Safa al-Safi refuses to work with Rubaie because of Rubaie's intrusion into Ministry of Justice affairs. End Note.) MOHR teams visited the defectors at the Rasheed on February 6. On February 8 and 16, EmbOffs visited the defectors at the Rasheed and confirmed that they are being well treated by the GOI. Before the defectors leave Iraq, the GOI will take them to see the holy sites in Najaf and Karbala. -------------- REPATRIATION IN IRAN? -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) Salim told PolOff on February 4 that she had met with the Iranian Ambassador and his advisors several times over the past two weeks to discuss passport issuance for and repatriation of MEK defectors. On several occasions, Iranian officials had implied to Salim that Iran does not want to repatriate any MEK defectors to Iran. Instead, Iran will instead issue passports to the defectors and buy them tickets to Istanbul where there is an NGO that will help them resettle in Turkey or other European countries. Salim believes that Iran views the repatriation to Iran of 3,400 MEK defectors as a threat to the government's stability. The private Iranian position contradicts Tehran's public statements; Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Qomi said at a January 27 meeting that Iran was willing to repatriate MEK defectors. (ref A) ¶5. (C) On January 27, the Iranian Embassy had a first meeting with Mekki, the second defector. Iranian Embassy officials met Mekki again on February 11 and will reportedly issue him a passport soon. They have met with Abbas twice Qissue him a passport soon. They have met with Abbas twice and gave Salim his passport during the January 27 meeting. Iranian officials will meet with Abbas again in the coming days and will give him a ticket to Istanbul. Salim is keeping the passport until Abbas leaves Iraq for Turkey and will accompany Abbas to the airport when he departs. ¶6. (C) According to Salim, Mekki no longer wants to return to Iran because he is afraid of persecution by the government. The ICRC met with him on January 21 and said that while it cannot guarantee his safety in Iran, it does not believe he will face any problems upon return. Mekki told MoHR representatives that he is thinking of going to a third country. ICRC representatives told PolOffs on February 5 that Mekki had not yet decided where to go and was still BAGHDAD 00000405 002 OF 002 considering repatriation to Iran. ICRC said it had written a letter to the Iranian Embassy requesting support for repatriation, but had not received a reply. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (S/NF) If Salim's report of Iranian intentions to not resettle MEK defectors is correct, it would be harder to find places for MEK defectors to resettle. Given that the arrival in Turkey in 2008 of 45 former MEK members outraged the Turkish government (ref B),it is unclear how the GOI plans to handle any new GOT fallout as a result of MEK defectors traveling to Turkey. BUTENIS