Mojgan Mahdavi, a member of the Central Council of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and a longtime member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), passed away in Albania on Thursday evening, August 20, 2026, following a year-long respiratory illness.
Her passing marks the end of four decades of continuous, professional, and steadfast struggle against the ruling religious fascism in Iran.
Education and Joining the Resistance Movement
Born in Tehran in 1961, Mojgan Mahdavi earned a degree in Biochemistry in the United States. In 1979, while completing the final year of her master’s program in Oklahoma, she connected with the Muslim Iranian Students Society (MISS, supporters of the PMOI in the U.S.). In 1987, she set aside her academic career and personal prospects to dedicate herself full-time to the resistance.
Military Command in the National Liberation Army
In 1988, Mahdavi joined the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA) at Camp Ashraf. Following her involvement in NLA operations, her leadership capabilities led to a rapid promotion to command a combat unit.
In 1999, she assumed command of a sector of forces at Habib Base, located 35 kilometers from the Iranian border.
Steadfastness in Ashraf and Liberty
Throughout the 14-year period of resistance by PMOI members at Camps Ashraf and Liberty, Mojgan Mahdavi commanded various NLA units. She demonstrated exceptional resolve during the violent attacks on Camp Ashraf on July 28–29, 2009, and April 8, 2011, as well as subsequent assaults on Camp Liberty.
On Sunday, April 8, 2012, during the inspection of belongings for the fourth group of residents preparing to relocate from Ashraf to Liberty, Iraqi suppressive forces (SWAT) launched a violent assault using stones, wooden clubs, iron bars, and electric batons against 28 PMOI members under Mahdavi’s charge.
During the attack, vehicles were severely damaged, and Mahdavi suffered a severe leg fracture from beatings by the forces. The scale of the violence was such that Martin Kobler, the then-Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, was forced to report it as an ‘incident’ during a UN Security Council briefing on Camp Ashraf on April 10, 2012—without identifying those responsible or pointing to Qassem Soleimani, who was behind the attack.
Political and Foreign Affairs Responsibilities
Following the successful collective relocation of PMOI members from Iraq to Europe, Mojgan Mahdavi served in key roles within the NCRI’s political and foreign affairs departments, devoting her efforts to representing the Iranian people’s resistance on the international stage.
Tribute from NCRI President-Elect Maryam Rajavi
Expressing her sorrow over the loss of Mojgan Mahdavi, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi paid tribute to her four decades of selfless devotion in the struggle against religious dictatorship:
Outstanding and self-sacrificing heroes like Mojgan are shining stars in Iran’s political sky amidst the darkness of oppression and discrimination by misogynistic clerics.
Mojgan has now joined her fallen comrades, but her name and illuminated path remain a guiding light for the rebellious women and girls of our homeland in their fight to overthrow this regime.
Mojgan Mahdavi stands as a brilliant example of the Iranian woman warrior who voluntarily relinquished academic, professional, and personal privileges to dedicate everything to the liberation of her people. It is through such role models that the people of Iran will ultimately triumph in their quest for freedom.
I take immense pride in figures like Mojgan Mahdavi, Akram Shahrabi, and Zohreh Ghaemi, who stand as the eternal pride of Iranian women and of our nation’s history.
