For over 140 days Iraqi forces have been preventing Iranians residing in Camp Liberty from using their own forklift trucks, making them carry heavy loads with their bare hands and on their shoulders.
This has caused the residents to develop severe orthopedic problems and severe pains in their back and upper limbs.
The residents have repeatedly – almost on daily basis – taken up these issues with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) but no effective measures have been taken to end this repressive measure used by the Iraqi forces.
When the residents were forcibly transferred from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty, the Iraqi government of Nouri al-Maliki prevented the transfer of dozens of forklift trucks owned by the residents.
In November 2012, in a trilateral agreement (between UNAMI, the Government of Iraq, and residents), two forklift trucks were transferred from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty. However, it was based on the Iraqi forces keeping the forklift trucks at the camp police station but to be provided to the residents every day for carrying heavy loads, then they would return them after the jobs are finished.
From the onset, in breach of the agreement, the Iraqi intelligence only gave the forklifts to residents every few days. But now, for the past five months the forklifts have not even once been given to the residents.
Likewise, this is the third consecutive week that the Iraqi forces are stopping the entry of gasoline to Camp Liberty.
Since their arrival at Camp Liberty, residents had been bringing in 400 liters of gasoline every week to the camp to be used in the limited number of vehicles in Liberty for transporting patients, the injured and the disabled.
Depriving them of their own forklift trucks and vehicles is nothing but a physical and psychological torture to the residents and is a violation of international covenants and humanitarian and human rights laws. For this, the perpetrators must face trial and punishment.
The Iranian regime’s intelligence is extremely concerned about the public wrath, hatred and international condemnations regarding the crimes it has committed against the Iranian people.
The Iranian people continue to protest against the acid attacks on women and girls. The public has also been outraged by the execution of 26-year-old Rayhaneh Jabbari.
Fearing consequences of these crimes, the Iranian regime has been publishing stories on state-run news outlets calling for attacks against the residents of Camp Liberty.
One piece that has been run on many news outlets says of the members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK): “instead of trying to exploit the acid attacks, should be busy finding a place other than Camp Liberty… The Iraqi Hezbollah … would welcome attacking the Monafeqin (derogatory termed used by the regime for PMOI) in Camp Liberty.”
Given the repeated written commitments by the U.S. government and the United Nations regarding the security and well-being of residents, the Iranian Resistance calls for immediate intervention to end the criminal siege on Camp Liberty, including free access to gasoline and forklift trucks. Moreover, the Iranian Resistance calls on all international bodies defending human rights and refugee rights to participate in a global campaign to revoke this anti-human siege.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 29, 2014
