Mahnaz Maimanat: Who Is the New Secretary-General of the People’s Mojahedin Organization?
The Early History of the MEK
The history of the Mujahedin-e Khalq begins in the 1960s.
The organization emerged in an environment in which political opposition to the Shah faced severe restrictions.
According to the PMOI’s own history, its founders were influenced by the political experiences surrounding the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and the subsequent political repression under the monarchy.
The founders believed that existing political organizations were insufficient to challenge the Shah.
They therefore created an organization that combined political activism with a more revolutionary organizational structure.
During its first years, the MEK concentrated on recruitment, ideological education and organizational development.
Many of its early members were young intellectuals and university students.
This student background is particularly relevant when examining Mahnaz Maimanat because her own biography says she encountered the organization during her university years.
September 8, 2026 | 6:31 pm
