“Albania opened its doors to the Iranian opposition (MEK) and the agreement clearly envisaged that they would stay in Albania for safety reasons, but not to turn Albania into a political platform against the Iranian regime,” PM Rama said during a conversation he had with Rachel Rizzo, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, on the sidelines of the Vilnius NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Asked about the challenge regarding the cyber attacks, Rama said that “this is really a serious challenge that will definitely become even bigger also with broader introduction of the artificial intelligence into our lives.”

“Albania is a small country and we are not in a position to change the course or the destiny of any war, any conflict or any battle, but when asked to help, we are more than happy to help, because it is not every day that you can be useful being so small and it is not every day that a big ally asks you for help so frequently,” PM Rama said.

The government head underlined that Albania was practically asked to contribute to the plight of the Iranian opposition group.

“Although the agreement clearly stipulated that they will be provided shelter in Albania for them to be safe and not to turn Albania into a political platform against the regime, unfortunately some things happened. So, we were under attack, under a big cyber attack, a very advanced attack on the digital services. Albania practically ranks among the top countries in Europe for online public service delivery and we were vulnerable,” he said.

PM Rama that Albania needed the U.S. Congress and Senate financial support to strengthen its cyber defense.

Rama underlined that Albania is making utmost efforts and whatever it takes to strengthen defense of its digital infrastructure.

/u.sh/

Director General of the Albanian State Police Muhamet Rrumbullaku confirmed that 15 police officers and 21 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group were injured during the operation.

“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,” a State Department spokesperson said, according to Radio Free Europe.

State Department spokesman reiterated in its statement that the U.S. government does not regard the MEK as being a democratic representative of the Iranian people, but the U.S. continues to have serious concerns about the [MKO] as an organization, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members.

State Police Director General Rrumbullaku said that 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.

According to a release by the State Police, raid was part of an investigation by the Special Structure Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK).

MEK representatives claimed that one elderly person died as a result of the use of tear gas by police during the raid.

However, Albania’s Interior Minister Bledi Çuçi and the police said reported death had nothing to do with the actions of the police.

Asked whether MEK members are suspected of conducting the cyberattacks against Albania last July, when Albania severed diplomatic ties with Teheran, Interior Minister declined to answer.

In 2013, Albanian authorities agreed to provide shelter to around 3000 MEK members under a UN- and U.S.-backed deal

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According to the Durrës Police, during the operation, the police faced the resistance and violence of the residents sheltered in the camp.

“The police control operation was to find and seize illegal objects that could be found in the premises of the residence”, explained Durrës Police. According to the police, “The police officers encountered violent and continuous opposition from the citizens staying in the residence, who tried to prevent the Police services from continuing the control seize objects as material evidence.

“As a result of violent and continuous protests, 15 police officers were injured and vehicles of the State Police were damaged. Despite the violence exerted on them, the Police officers have restrained themselves to the extreme, not responding proportionally to the violence that was being inflicted on them”, the Police continued to clarify in its report.

“In the framework of the investigative actions carried out for this purpose, as well as after consultation with the prosecutor of the Prosecution at the Court of First Instance of the General Jurisdiction of Durrës, there have been launched criminal proceedings in a free state, for the criminal offenses of “Disobedience to the order of police”, “Opposition to police officer”, “Destruction of property” and “Obstacles to the execution of court decisions”, for 6 Iranian citizens, residents of the location of the MEK organization, specifically: H.N., 73 years old; M.B., 72 years old; A.A., 72 years old; B.S., 63 years old; A.A., 61 years old and D.F., 70 years old,” the Police report stated.

So, Durrës police clarified that the investigative structures and those of the Criminal Police Department, under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance of the General Jurisdiction of Durrës, continue the in-depth investigations to document with legal evidence, the illegal actions carried out by citizens resident in the MEK location, during the operation carried out by the State Police, in implementation of the decision of the court for the control in the interior of the residence./p.s./

In the joint press conference with Minister of Interior Bledi Çuçi, Rrumbullaku said that, “After getting the court’s decision, I have sent an official letter to all MEK leaders for an official meeting today. At 8 o’clock in the morning, together with some high-level police leaders, we called a meeting and the 6 main leaders of the MEK camp met us. We explained in detail everything involved in the court’s decision to allow the inspection of all buildings, as well as the purpose for which it was motivated in the decision of the special court”.

“In the beginning, we found their good understanding. Then, we started the control phase in all premises. We found illegal things, but the MEK members started an organized resistance preventing the police to execute the decision of the court”, underlined Rrumbullaku.

According to him, the police showed extreme restraint.

“The only means for the realization of the court’s decision have been the individual spray. There were injured 15 police officers and there were damaged police vehicles. On their part, 21 citizens were injured, but 15 of them have left the hospital centers and returned to their place of residence”, explained Rrumbullaku.

He emphasized that, “The actions of the police were totally legal, without exceeding any limit for the execution of the court’s decision. 96 computer units, 49 laptops, 3 memory cards and abundant materials that were tried to be destroyed by burning by some MEK members were seized as evidence.

“Durrës Prosecutor’s Office has launched investigations into the violent opposition to the control by the state police. During the time when actions were being taken to implement the court’s decision, the leaders of the MEK informed that there was a resident who had passed away in their emergency center. For this, a special investigation group of the prosecution of the judicial district of Durrës has been set up, the Police Supervision Agency has been notified to avoid the conflict of interest of the Police. But, I assure you that after the medical-legal expertise comes out, you will draw your own conclusion and I don’t want to comment any longer on this matter”, said Rrumbullaku. /k.s/r.e/p.s./