AFP(Spanish wire), August 10 – Parliamentarians, lawyers and international politicians have called on Wednesday the UN to take urgent action to protect Iranians residing in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. In a conference in Geneva, Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition that includes People’s Mojahedin, fierce opponents of the Iranian regime, as its largest component, has urged the UN bodies including the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to “prevent another catastrophe.”
Camp Ashraf, located 80 km north of Baghdad, is home to about 3,500 People’s Mojahedeen. On April 8, an attack by the Iraqi army on the camp resulted in 34 civilian dead and dozens injured.
Mrs. Rajavi called for the presence of a UN observing team in Ashraf, and reaffirmation of the collective status of the residents as political refugee by the UNHCR, so they can enjoy the right to international protection.
Among the politicians present, Howard Dean (former president of U.S. Democratic party and candidates in the race for the White House) said that the residents of Ashraf were “in danger.” Affirming that Mojahedin had “renounced violence” there was no “legal basis” for maintaining Mojahedin in the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations, he said.
Members of European Parliaments and experts in international humanitarian law have expressed support for the EU Parliament’s plan to transfer Ashraf refugees to third countries.
The camp was allocated for 80 years, by Saddam Hussein to the People’s Mujahedeen, who fought the Iranian regime during the Iran-Iraq war.
These Iranian regime’s opponents were disarmed in 2003 by U.S. forces after fall of the Iraqi president. The United States in early 2009 transferred control of the camp to Iraqi security forces, close to the Iranian regime.
U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy said that the situation in Ashraf “was a matter of life or death.”
The former presidential candidate and former Colombian hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, urged to ensure that “the situation of Camp Ashraf is known” to avoid “another crime.” She said: “We can not sleep in peace, as our 3500 brothers and sisters in Ashraf are likely to be killed.”
