On Tuesday, February 17, 2009, fifteen members of families of the members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) residing in Camp Ashraf had to leave Iraq at the end of their 10 day visa to stay in Iraq without being able to see their relatives in Ashraf. This followed nine days of bitter and painful wait outside the gates of Camp Ashraf since Iraqi authorities prevented them to enter the Camp.
In addition, another family of an Ashraf resident who arrived in Iraq two days ago has been waiting behind the main Ashraf entrance to be allowed to go in. There is a 5-year-old child with them.
Preventing the families of PMOI members from entering Ashraf to see their children and relatives has cause widespread outrage in international level and inside Iraq. In the meantime, the office of the National Security Adviser of Iraq issued a statement full of lies alleging: “The leaders of Camp Ashraf continue preventing families of residents of the Camp to see their children.” The statement added: “The leaders of the Camp insist on their position that visits by families of the refugees should take place inside the Camp and under their supervision in a bid to prevent people staying in the Camp to be convinced to return [to Iran] or leave the Camp.”
This is a ridiculous claim which is made in fear of international condemnations. The families of Ashraf residents had to wait outside the Camp throughout last week since Monday in adverse weather condition and contrary to what has been practiced in the past six years, they were not allowed to enter the Camp to see their loved ones. This is an act which has in practice turned Ashraf into a prison in flagrant violation of the international law, the International Humanitarian Law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the fundamental rights of Ashraf residents and their families.
The absurd claim that the PMOI prevents people “returning [to Iran] or leaving the Camp” is only an excuse to justify the unlawful and inhuman measure. The American officials and forces as well as various international organizations have witnessed over the past years that no one is forced to stay in Ashraf against his will and they had the possibility to leave the Camp.
The Iranian Resistance warns about increasing plots by the Iranian regime against residents of Ashraf and calls on the UN Secretary General, UN Security Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other competent international organizations and all human rights organizations to protest against this inhuman treatment which is conducted in behest of the clerical regime.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Paris- February 18, 2009
CC:
UN Secretary General
President of the UN Security Council
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
President of the International Committee of the Red Cross
General Secretary of Amnesty International
President of the International Federation of Human Rights
The U.S. President
The U.S. Secretary of State and Defense
Chair of the U.S. Senate Arm Forces Committee and the Chair of U.S. Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad
Commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq
President of Republic of Iraq
Dr. Tareq Al-Hashemi, Deputy President of Republic of Iraq
Foreign and Human Rights Ministers of Republic of Iraq