10 July 2005
The new operation is aimed at diverting the current world focus on the past activities of Irans new ultra-conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is suspected of being among the interrogators of U.S. hostages in Tehran in 1979 and a key player in the assassination in Vienna of a prominent Kurdish dissident.
According to Iranian exiles, Javad Firouzmand, a.k.a. Afshin Boroumand, who claims to have been a senior member of the Peoples Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MeK), will be VEVAKs kingpin in this new operation. He has been briefed to claim that he fled the organisations main base at Camp Ashraf, northeast of Baghdad, a month ago. But information has come to light showing that since April 28, 2004 he had been in another location under United States forces supervision.
Official documents show that on his request, he was repatriated to Iran on March 9, 2005 after being interviewed by a team from the U.S. State Department.
Research into the background of Firouzmand shows that he had been an active VEVAK cell for several years. On July 15, 2001, Firouzmand, who had infiltrated the ranks of the MeK and was carrying out a VEVAK assignment, fled the organisation with false identification papers, stealing three weapons, walkie-talkies, a car, and large amounts of cash in the process. But he was arrested by Iraqi police before reaching the Iranian embassy in Baghdad and was subsequently referred to relevant Iraqi organs to be prosecuted on charges of espionage.
The MeK has a handwritten signed statement by Firouzmand, in which he stated that he was remorseful for his involvement with Tehrans intelligence apparatus and requested to re-join the ranks of the organisation.
Subsequent requests by the MeK to Iraqi police for his handover proved successful and he was given a choice of either returning to Iran to live a normal life or continuing to remain with the organisation. Firouzmand chose the latter.
As further evidence of Firouzmands involvement with Iranian intelligence, an exiled Persian-language television channel yesterday aired footage of documents and signed letters by the VEVAK cell, in which he reveals his contacts and appeals to stay with the group.
In particular, the evidence showed that Firouzmand was in contact with the Iranian regimes embassy in Baghdad several years ago. His VEVAK handler in Tehran was a VEVAK officer called Mohammad Alavi.
Further information on the background and activities of Javad Firouzmand will be published in the coming days.
