Claire Moore also praised the members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (Mujahadeen-e-Khalq MEK) who are staging a hunger strike to call for the release of the seven.
She said in a speech to the Australian Senate on November 12 that the 3,000 Iranian dissidents now living in Camp Liberty had been betrayed by the US and United Nations, who promised they would be protected from attack.
But the capture of seven hostages now at risk of being involuntarily returned to Iran had created a situation of even greater urgency, Mrs Moore said.
She added: “We know that these people have been found in various prisons in Iraq, all under immediate threat of being removed to Iran. As a result of the fear, a series of hunger strikes have taken place across the world.
“Iranians in Camp Liberty and in five countries, including Switzerland, England, Germany, Canada and, from the middle of September, Australia, commenced a hunger strike, calling for the release of seven Camp Ashraf residents being held hostage by Iraqi forces.
“They seek assurance that that their friends, their families and their people are safe, and that they will continue to be treated as real refugees, with hope of being able to find a new future.
“We know the history of human rights in Iran. We know that there is indeed a culture there which does have execution as a common result of any crime and, certainly, the PMOI are considered to be enemies of the state in Iran. So removing people from this organisation back to Iran is in effect signing their death sentences.
“The people who are taking hunger strike action in our city of Melbourne are Australian citizens. They care about their families back in their homeland, but they believe Australia is their home and they are turning to us to make sure that we are part of international spokespeople who can talk through the UN to commit to ensure that people are safe.
“I do think we should listen, understand and keep this message alive.”