The United States has expressed support for a raid by Albanian authorities on a camp near the capital, Tirana, that houses thousands of members of a group of exiled opponents of the Iranian government.
Albanian state police seized dozens of computers on June 20 during a raid of the Ashraf 3 camp where some 2,800 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group live after local media reported that the group is suspected of orchestrating cyberattacks against foreign institutions.
SEE ALSO: Albanian Authorities Suspect Iranian Dissidents Residing In Camp Of Several CrimesThree dozen people, including several Albanian policemen, were injured during the raid, authorities said.
Albanian police declined to provide specifics of the investigation, which was ordered by the Albanian judiciary due to the violation of agreements the group made when they settled in Albania a decade ago.
The U.S. State Department said in an e-mail to RFE/RL that American authorities were informed that the raid was conducted lawfully and voiced support for Tirana's sovereign right to take such action.
"The Albanian State Police have assured us that all actions were conducted in accordance with applicable laws, including with regard to the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania. We support the Government of Albania’s right to investigate any potential illegal activities within its territory," the State Department statement said.
MEK representatives claimed that one elderly person died as a result of the use of tear gas by police during the raid, but Albania's interior minister and the police, who released a video recording of the operation, denied responsibility.
The reported death had nothing to do with the actions of the police, Interior Minister Bledi Cuci said.
"I guarantee you that no person was touched during the police operation," Cuci said at a news conference, adding that the reaction of the MKO was "unacceptable, intolerable, and reprehensible."
"They are in Albania according to an agreement that stipulates that they will not carry out political activities or protests, and they are sheltered only for humanitarian purposes," Cuci said.
State Police Director-General Muhamet Rrumbullaku said 15 police officers and 21 members of the MEK were injured and several police cars were damaged.
He said MEK members began to resist when police found server rooms and computer equipment that they suspected were illegal. Police seized 96 computer units and about 50 laptops and tablets, he said, adding that there was an attempt to burn some documents during the operation.
The raid was part of an investigation by the Special Structure Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK). None of the officials disclosed what the SPAK investigation is about.
"The prosecutor's office has initiated several criminal cases, but I cannot tell you why the Iranians of the MEK are suspected," Cuci said.
Rrumbullaku said that all who used violence against the police have been identified and that there will be consequences for the leaders of the camp who did not cooperate.
Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran in July 2022 after accusing Tehran of orchestrating a cyberattack against the NATO member.
The MEK left Iraq, where they had their camp before, in 2013, under a UN- and U.S.-backed deal and settled in other countries, including Albania.
The State Department reiterated in its statement that the U.S. government does not regard the MEK as being a democratic representative of the Iranian people.
"As we have said before, the United States does not see the [MEK] as a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of the Iranian people," the statement said.
"The U.S. government does not provide support or training to the [MEK], does not contribute funding to the organization, and does not maintain substantive contact beyond issues related to the [MEK]'s resettlement, which was completed in 2016.
"The State Department continues to have serious concerns about the [MKO] as an organization, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members," the statement concluded.
The MEK killed U.S. personnel in Iran during the 1970s and also carried out a series of terror attacks on Iranian embassies in 13 different countries in 1992, leading to its inclusion on the lists of terrorist organizations of the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
In 2013, the group was removed from the list amid efforts by Washington to support the group in its fight against the Islamic regime in Tehran.