Delay in conducting the probe helps perpetrators of massacre, especially Maliki and his masters in Tehran, to elude justice
NCRI – On November 13, Mr. Brett McGurk, Deputy Assistant Secretary in U.S. State Department, speaking to a congressional hearing in that country stressed: “Following the September 1 attack… we did call for an investigation and for the UN to be involved in this process.”
Similarly, previously, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, had reiterated on thorough and impartial probe into the assault on Camp Ashraf.In that same hearing, congressmen harshly criticized delay in conducting the probe into the assault on Ashraf and said: “74 days on, nothing has been done, let alone an independent investigation… Five attacks on Ashraf and Liberty – five – over a period of years. Not one criminal has been brought to justice; not one… I am not sure what we are doing; not any of the witnesses has been talked to about the latest attack.”
In a visit to Camp Liberty on September 16 by Mr. McGurk, accompanied by Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General and representatives from UNHCR, Liberty residents demanded an independent and all encompassing probe into the massacre by an international fact-finding committee and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. They stressed that this is a must if recurrence of the catastrophe is to be averted.
Previously, on September 2, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, had emphasized on the need for an impartial and thorough inquiry by an international fact-finding committee, referral of the matter to the Security Council, and trial and punishment of perpetrators.
On September 30, residents’ representative requested from Secretary-General to assume responsibility for the investigations and not permit this massacre to be forgotten like the four previous ones and the psychological torture of PMOI members and for the culprits to escape thereby paving the way for still greater massacres. The delay by United Nations comes at a time where the Iraqi government through its guided and controlled investigation plans to justify previous crimes and prepare the ground for the next atrocity. Statement no. 86 by the Secretariat of National Council of Resistance on November 1st exposed conclusions of this so-called probe by Maliki’s “Investigative Committee” that is replete with Goebbels-like fabrications and portrays the seven hostages and the 42 PMOI survivors of the massacre as perpetrators of the slaughter.
On September 25, a three-man delegation from Major General Shemeri, Commander of Diyala Police and commander of the September 1 attack, referred to Camp Liberty to interview some of the 42 survivors of the Ashraf massacre. Two of those in this delegation were Colonel Abdulamir Shemeri and Brigadier General Khalis al-Tamimi, both deputies to Shemeri and commanders of the assault on Ashraf. Despite the fact that residents’ lawyers rejected this unlawful probe, one of the witnesses described his observations of the massacre scenes for 4.5 hours. However, at the end, the delegation refused to even give the witness a copy of his testimony. Residents’ representatives stressed to the delegation that all 42 survivors are prepared to testify if a representative from United Nations or the U.S. Embassy are present and if a copy of ther testimony would be given to the witness. This matter was conveyed to UNAMI and the U.S. Embassy several times; nonetheless, United Nations refrained to interfere.
While there is an extensive demand by the international community for an impartial inquiry, United Nations refrains from action which unquestionably will encourage the Iraqi government and the Iranian regime to continue and repeat their atrocities. The Iranian Resistance once again calls for an immediate and independent inquiry into the massacre and abductions of September 1st and underscores that delay in this matter will result in nothing but helping the perpetrators of the massacre, in particular Maliki and his masters in Tehran, to elude justice.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 15, 2013
