According to her doctor, she should have undergone iodine therapy in the hospital for three days starting on November 9. The Iraqi forces and the Iraqi officials of the hospital in Ashraf had already agreed with the transfer of Ms. Fardipour to hospital accompanied by another Ashraf resident as her translator and nurse. However, on Monday evening, November 8, the head of hospital in Ashraf, Omar Khalid Tamimi, informed the patient that she should go to hospital without a translator and a nurse from Ashraf and the Iraqi soldiers will accompany her. They are the very same soldiers who have been involved in attacks on Ashraf, killing of its residents and the siege of the camp.
This is absolutely clear that for a patient who is suffering from a serious ailment and undergoing chemotherapy such restrictions are totally unacceptable. In these circumstances, she was compelled to cancel her appointment.
Omar Khalid, who has been creating obstacles for patients in Ashraf to have access to medical services, is in fact enforcing the suppressive plans of Nouri al-Maliki and the committee within the prime minister’s office responsible for suppression of Ashraf residents. Although acting as a medical doctor, he is indeed serving the aims of the clerical dictatorship ruling Iran.
Describing her ordeal in a letter on August 2 to Mr. Ad Merkelt, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ms. Fardipour wrote: “In order to intimidate and silence me when I protested, Omar Khalid called the police chief and then a group of twelve armed men entered the hospital. I was therefore compelled not to go to hospital… Where in the world do armed men enter hospital to intimidate patients? Patients at Ashraf hospital have no security and no one is answerable.”
On numerous cases al-Maliki’s subordinate forces and Omar Tamimi have denied access to medical services for terminally ill patients. These measures have led to deterioration of their conditions making their treatment impossible.
These moves, which are parts of a plan to torture and kill Ashraf residents, amount to crimes against humanity and liable for prosecution by international tribunals. The Iranian Resistance calls on UN Secretary General, his Special Representative for Iraq, UNAMI, the U.S. government and American forces in Iraq to take immediate measures to end the nearly two-year-long inhumane siege on Ashraf and secure the free and unconditional access of Ashraf residents to medical services.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 10, 2010