Rome governing council calls on the governor to intervene with Italy’s government, foreign ministry and president to secure protection and rights of Ashraf residents and prevention of their displacement from their current location
English translation of the resolution:
On July 28, 2009, Iraqi forces violently attacked 3500 unarmed Iranian residents of Ashraf, 1000 of whom are women. In legal terms, Ashraf residents have been described as protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The attack left 11 people dead and more than 500 injured, many of whom are in critical condition. This was an attack ordered by the Iranian regime, which after brutally suppressing the Iranian people’s uprising following the sham elections, attempted to export terrorism to Iraq and silence the Iranian Resistance with the help of the Iraqi government.
• Credible international sources publish incredibly worrying reports about the situation in Ashraf, where 3400 democratic Iranian opponents of the clerical regime in Tehran have lived for more than 20 years.
• The city of Cuneo has established a humanitarian relation with Ashraf, describing itself as the sister city of Ashraf.
• Reports from Iranian opposition sources indicate that during the Iraqi forces’ attack against Ashraf City, tear gas, batons, firefighting pressurized water, and deadly weapons were used.
• All this happened despite the fact that when at the end of February 2009, the control of Camp Ashraf was transferred to Iraqi officials from the US-led Coalition Forces, both sides committed themselves to ensuring a secure future and humane treatment for Ashraf residents. However, Ashraf residents repeatedly reported about the deterioration of their situation after the Americans left the scene.
• On April 24, 2009, the European Parliament called on Baghdad’s government to respect international conventions protecting camp residents.
• The British Parliament also intervened to support them. At the Italian Parliament, Elisabetta Zamparutti called on the US government to assume protection of Ashraf residents in accordance with Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. This article stipulates that in cases where the government that protection has been transferred to (in this case Iraq) cannot respect its obligations (in this case with regards to protecting Ashraf), protection responsibilities must automatically be returned to the transferee (in this case the US).
The Rome council adopts the current resolution calling on the governor of Rome to:
Intervene with the Italian government, the Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, the Italian President, and the governor of Lazio, to ensure protection, security, and rights of Ashraf residents and to prevent their displacement from their current location – which would clearly violate their human rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention; Work to have a United Nations monitoring team assume protection and security of Ashraf residents. Moreover, to give a broad vision to the media to highlight the situation in Ashraf for the public opinion.
Rome
October 23, 2009
