Urgent action needed to protect Iranian refugees in Iraq
NCRI – In a meeting with the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on Sunday, May 18, the head of the Iranian regime’s judiciary requested that members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Iraq be ‘returned to Iran to face fair trials, as not trying them would mean justice was not being done’.
The absurd request for the extradition of internationally protected Iranian refugees by Sadeq Larijani, who is directly responsible for the ongoing daily torture and group executions in prisons across Iran, demonstrates the fear and helplessness of the religious dictatorship ruling Iran in the face of popular rage and discontent, and the growing popular support for the PMOI (MEK).
In order to breed an atmosphere of fear and terror, the clerical regime wants to massacre PMOI (MEK) members who through their perseverance are a source of inspiration for the Iranian people’s struggle.
In nine declarations since September 2011, and in numerous press releases, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has emphasized the inclusion of Camp Liberty residents in the non-refoulement principle. In its latest statement of 6 May, 2014, the UNHCR stressed: “The UNHCR further underlines that camp residents are entitled to protection against expulsion or forced return to any place where their life or freedom would be threatened. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations explicitly recognises that residents benefit from the principle of non-refoulement.”
Here, we have a regime calling for the implementation of justice, but that has executed or killed under torture 120,000 political prisoners, most of whom were PMOI (MEK)
members and supporters, and that according to its penal code, any association with the PMOI (MEK). is considered Moharebeh (“enmity towards God”), which is punishable by death. In 1988, Khomeini issued a Fatwa that “those who are in prisons throughout the country and remain steadfast in their support for the Monafeqin [PMOI/MEK], are Mohareb and condemned to be executed”.
According to this Fatwa, over 30,000 political prisoners were massacred. So far, with the help of its subordinate government in Iraq, the clerical regime has organized six deadly attacks on Ashraf and Camp Liberty, killed 116 of their residents, injured over 1,300, and imposed a tyrannical siege, especially a medical blockade, on Ashraf and Camp Liberty since 2009 that has resulted in twenty residents losing their lives.
The crimes of the religious dictatorship ruling Iran is the greatest crime since World War II whose perpetrators have not been brought to justice. The Iranian people and their Resistance call for the referral of this file to the International Criminal Court and for the trial of this regime’s leaders.
While warning that the statements by Larijani betray the ominous intents of this regime to conduct another bloodbath in Camp Liberty, the Iranian Resistance calls on the US government and the United Nations to immediately condemn the statements by the mullahs’ head of Judiciary and to adopt urgent and effective measures to protect Camp Liberty residents. This is essential according to their repeated and written commitments concerning the safety and security of Camp Liberty residents. Silence in face of these statements that breach many international laws and conventions emboldens this regime and its proxies in Iraq in their crimes against Camp Liberty.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
May 19, 2014
