The Albanian Minister of Education Besa Shahini has ordered the shutdown of an Iran-funded high school in the country’s capital Tirana.
The “Saadi” non-public high school started its activity in Albania 20 years ago. On January 17, Minister Shahini ordered the school to cease its activity and refund its 38 enrolled students. The order was made public a week later.
The decision comes after the Albanian government of Prime Minister Edi Rama expelled two more Iranian diplomats from the country for violating their diplomatic status, following the killing by the US of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. The US State Department applauded the decision. Two more diplomats were expelled earlier last year, including the ambassador.
Albania has been hosting about 3,000 members of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (Mojahedin-e Khalq) for humanitarian purposes since 2016 at the request of the US government. The MEK advocates overthrowing the Tehran regime, and are considered a terrorist organization by Iran and Iraq.
