NCRI – Two weeks after the murder of nine members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) in a crime against humanity in Camp Ashraf, burial of those killed by Iraqi forces is not yet possible.
Following a visit to Ashraf by a delegation of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), it was agreed that the Iraqi forces occupying the Morvarid Cemetery within Ashraf would evacuate the premises to allow burial of the martyrs. This was aimed to avoid any friction between the belligerent Iraqi forces and the PMOI members at the cemetery. To this end, a number of Iraqi forces were removed from the area and an American Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle was based at the location to monitor. But early this morning, the Iraqi forces violated the agreement and prevented the PMOI members from entering the cemetery to make arrangements for the funeral. According to some information, the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister has opposed evacuation of the cemetery by the Iraqi forces.
The Secretariat of the NCRI in its statement number 35 on July 29 reminded that the corpses of the martyrs had not been buried in the scorching heat of 57 degree Celsius and “Considering the power cut and the destruction of most of the utilities and services, keeping the bodies have become impossible and as there is too much dust in the air, it may cause the outbreak of many types of illnesses among residents.” It was also mentioned in the same statement that, “The Ashraf residents are appealing to the United Nations Secretary General to urgently send his representatives to move back the Iraqi forces and observe burial of the martyrs.”
In the statement number 62 of the NCRI’s secretariat on August 2 it was also reported, “In addition to torture and murder of PMOI members residing in Camp Ashraf and their abduction by aggressive Iraqi forces, they have been looting and stealing the resident’s properties and destroying the Camp’s installations.” It added that the Iraqi forces “have also stolen the white shrouds which are used to wrap the corpses before being laid in the grave.”
In light of the international condemnations of crimes which have been carried out at the behest of the Iranian regime in Ashraf and considering the outrageous behavior of the present Iraqi government in its occupation of Morvarid Cemetery which has practically prevented burial of the martyrs for two weeks, the Iranian Resistance, once again, calls on the United Nations and the American forces to take measures to remove the Iraqi forces from the cemetery.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 11, 2009