Mahnaz Maimanat: Who Is the New Secretary-General of the People’s Mojahedin Organization?

The election of Mahnaz Maimanat as Secretary-General of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) has brought renewed attention to one of the most controversial and least understood Iranian opposition organizations.

Also known internationally as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the group has existed for more than six decades and has undergone dramatic transformations since its establishment in 1965.

Mahnaz Maimanat’s appointment is particularly significant because she is not a newcomer to the organization. According to the PMOI’s own announcement, Maimanat has held senior positions within the organization for decades. She joined its Executive Committee in 1989, became a member of its Leadership Council in 1993, joined the Central Council in 2014 and served as co-secretary general from 2021. In September 2026, she was elected secretary-general following a three-round voting process involving PMOI members in seven countries.

Her election has therefore raised questions about her personal background, her family history, the internal structure of the PMOI, the organization’s relationship with Maryam Rajavi and Massoud Rajavi, and the broader history of the MEK.

It has also revived a much larger question:

What exactly is the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and why has it remained such a controversial organization for so many decades?

September 8, 2026 | 6:31 pm