International call to lift siege on Ashraf residents
NCRI – Over the past three months, the Iraqi committee at the Prime Minister’s Office tasked with suppression of Camp Ashraf residents has prevented entry of fuel supplies to the Camp. This inhumane siege has triggered numerous difficulties for the residents particularly in the cold winter months.
On November 4, 2009, the drivers of two oil tankers, which were delivering fuel purchased by Ashraf residents to the Camp, were arrested by Iraqi forces on charges of delivering fuel to the residents. Their tankers were confiscated and taken to the police station in the nearby city of Khalis. After 20 days of detention, a judge ordered the drivers’ release.
Since 2003, in accordance with a fuel rationing scheme for Iraqi citizens, Ashraf residents had a monthly quota for fuel and other products from the Iraqi Oil Ministry. They paid for and received their quota on a monthly basis.
Since the end of 2006, when Ashraf’s fuel quota was illegally cut off on the orders of the Iranian regime, Ashraf residents managed to obtain their required fuel primarily from outside Iraq and open market, facing enormous difficulties and paying several-times the previous prices. However, since July 2009, the Iraqi committee in charge of suppression of Ashraf has seriously hampered the entry of fuel into the camp, and has prevented all fuel entry completely since mid-October.
The Iranian Resistance reiterates that the unjust siege on Ashraf constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It urges the United Nations Secretary General, Security Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Secretary General Special Representative for Iraq, and UNAMI to intervene and enact urgent measures to lift the siege on Ashraf and more specifically remove restrictions on entry of fuel supplies into Camp Ashraf.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 18, 2010
