Iran: a Short History of the Mek Jubin Katiraie   Blog 23 January 2018 The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran or Mojahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) is a political group dedicated to the realisation of a free and democratic Iran, but how did it start? On September 6, 1965, the MEK  was founded  by three engineers Mohammad Hanifnejad, Said Mohsen, and Ali-Ashgar Badizadgan. They had previously been involved with the Freedom/Liberation Movement, created by Medhi Bazargan in May 1961, which advocated for the democratic principles that were laid out in the Iranian constitution following the 1905 resolution. The group had been allowed to peacefully assemble and advocate for political freedom and the separation of powers for two years. However, in 1963, Ruhollah Khomeini gave a public speech criticising the monarchy and was arrested. In response, large free speech and anti-monarchy protests broke out across Iran, which the Freedom Party supported. These protests wer...

Powerful Quake Kills Hundreds in Iran by Jubin Katiraie An earthquake, 7.3 magnitude near the Iraq-Iran border has killed more than 400 people and sent residents escaping their homes into the night, authorities said. Iran’s western Kermanshah province bore the impact of the quake on Sunday night, with authorities saying the quake killed more than 407 people in the country and injured 6,700 up to know. The quake was centred 19 miles (31km) outside the eastern Iraqi city of Halabja, according to the most recent measurements from the US Geological Survey. Graphic locates epicentre of 7.3-magnitude earthquake on the border of Iran and Iraq It struck at 9.48pm Iran time, just as people began retiring for the night. It could be felt on the Mediterranean coast, some 660 miles (1,000km) away. The earthquake struck 23.2km (14.4 miles) below the surface, a shallow depth that can amplify damage. Iranian social media and news agencies showed images and videos of people fleein...