Keeping seven patients hungry and thirsty in Baghdad for one day upon the orders of Suppression Committee and not allowing them to buy food and water; presence of armed soldiers in doctor’s office for harassing the patients
NCRI – The Iraqi forces and the Ashraf Suppression Committee in Iraq’s Prime Minister office continue inhumane siege and merciless pressures on the residents of Ashraf, particularly through imposing medical restrictions.
Due to a widespread international campaign, the Iraqi forces transferred seven patients of Ashraf to Baghdad for medical visit on Tuesday, December 21. However, upon the orders of Suppression Committee, they carried out very filthy pressures and restrictions against the patients.
The patients, who were prepared to leave Ashraf since 6 a.m. and returned Ashraf about 7 p.m., were not allowed to buy any food or water all day long. Intentionally starving the patients and keeping them thirsty as well as presence of armed soldiers in the doctor’s office were carried out to harass the patients.
The commander of Iraqi forces, while he and his soldiers were eating food and drinking water, ignobly prevented the Ashraf residents from having access to food upon the order of Suppression Committee. This inhumane measure is an imitation of the mullahs’ regime’s henchmen in Evin and Kahrizak prisons. Some of the patients had not eaten since the night before because they were supposed to have medical examination, and therefore they were in more need of water and food after their examinations.
Some of the patients did not have the chance to be treated during this painful one-day-long trip. One of them who had long been waiting for echography and cardiac angiography operation was returned from the hospital without having surgery because of obstructions made by the Iraqi forces.
The Iraqi forces also prevented one of the patients from taking some rest. He had just finished his heart angiography operation and needed to rest for a while.
The Iraqi soldiers carrying weapons and military equipment entered the doctors’ offices, and despite objection by the doctors, they stood nearby the patients and made trouble preventing the patients to share their problems with the doctor in an appropriate way.
On their way back, in a bid to harass the patients and make more delays, the commander of Iraqi forces asked the checkpoints on the way to check the documents of the patients. Whereas before the trip, he personally checked the identification documents of all patients and he had no ambiguity in this regard.
The goal of Suppression Committee of such obstructions and inhumane measures is to dissuade the patients to go to the hospital or to have access to medical services and to make them surrender and abandon. These are shameful measures that show how furious the mullahs’ regime and their Iraqi agents and mercenaries are of Ashraf residents’ persistence following the demise of Mehdi Fathi which is a blatant evidence of crime against humanity.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the Secretary General of UN, the Special Representative of UN Secretary General for Iraq, UNAMI, and the US government and forces to take immediate measure to end the inhumane siege of Ashraf that has been going on for two years, especially make it possible for them to have free and unconditional access to medical services at their own expenses.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
December 23, 2010
