Camp Liberty-No. 2
NCRI – Immediately after the buses transporting 397 Camp Ashraf residents reached Camp Liberty at 7:00am Baghdad time, Saturday February 18, Iraqi Forces started their suppressive measures and harassment of the residents.
This was while since 2:00pm of the previous day, the residents were at the location of the buses and the Iraqi Forces spent 12 hours for an unusual inspection accompanied by mistreatment and denigration of the residents.
All facts indicate that the Iraqi government, on the orders of the Iranian regime, intends to transform Camp Liberty into a full-fledged prison. The Iranian Resistance warns the U.S. government, the UN Secretary General, and the UN Security Council to prevent turning Camp Liberty to a prison and causing a humanitarian tragedy:
1. On the morning of February 18, when the residents reached Camp Liberty, Sadiq Mohammad Kazim, who had participated in the past two massacres of Ashraf residents in July 2009 and April 2011 and is sought by the Spain’s National Central Court, was in command of the Iraqi Forces. He acted as if he was guarding a forced labor camp or being in charge of prisoners of war. Immediately upon arrival of the residents, he told them to lineup to be recounted which was strongly protested by the residents.
2. Iraqi Forces, under his command intended to once again inspect the residents and their belongings in Camp Liberty, but in protest, the residents refused to get off their buses. The residents asked to return to Camp Ashraf, and announced that they will never accept prison conditions.
3. After strong protests by the residents’ representative and contacts between Washington, Paris, and Baghdad, and upon mediation of Mrs. Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, the Iraqi officials withdrew their unlawful drive to repeat inspections. They only inspected the residents’ belongings by sniffing dogs. As such, at 14:30 (Baghdad time) the buses entered Liberty after 24 and half hours.
4. The suppressive Iraqi forces under command of Sadiq were scattered throughout Camp Liberty and surrounded the dining hall as well. The residents announced that as long as Iraqi armed forces are stationed around the dining hall, they would refuse to go there. In another preposterous action, Sadiq ordered the residents to go in groups of two to trailers as he has designated for their stay. But the residents did not pay any attention to that. According to latest reports, following strong protests by the residents against the presence of Sadiq at the camp, an Iraqi official told the residents that he will no longer be at Liberty.
5. Early reports from Camp Liberty indicate that the infrastructure, including the bathrooms, contrary to the initial descriptions by UNAMI, are much below acceptable standards. The trailers and the equipments are terribly filthy and insanitary, and a lot of work and preparations are needed prior to making them suitable for residents to move in.
6. The initial inspection of Ashraf residents’ belongings started on Thursday at 11:20am by Iraqi officers and by using metal detectors and police dogs in presence of the Diyala police commander, Brigadier General Jamil al-Shemeri. More than 800 Iraqi forces directly or indirectly were involved in these inspections and relocation. According to Reuters report on February 18 “Detailed searches of each person’s belongings took so long they arrived almost 24 hours after the media were invited to Camp Liberty to witness the transfer.” During these inspections, some of the valuable belongings of the residents were stolen by Iraqi personnel.
7. In violation of MOU signed by the United Nations and the Government of Iraq and contrary to the subsequent agreements between the residents and the Special Representative of UNSG, the residents were prevented from taking some of their movable properties and most of their vehicles. The Associated Press wrote: “Iraqi soldiers searched the exiles for almost an entire day before they left Ashraf… soldiers ordered the exiles to leave some of their heirlooms behind، including photographs، microwave ovens, satellite dishes for Internet access and، in one case، a pair of therapeutic socks.” Also taking desks and chairs, wheelchairs needed by the ailing, and even fruit knives were prevented.
8. The Iraqis officials who led these impositions on Ashraf were Lieutenant Heydar Azab Mashi and Captain Ahmad Khuzayr. They have committed in the past few years most of the suppressive actions against the residents. They are both agents of Quds Force. During the inspections, Heydar told the residents: “At Camp Liberty, Colonel Nazar is waiting for you.” Nazar is one of the most brutal and most suppressive Iraqi officer who in recent years has carried out the orders of the Iraqi committee tasked with suppression of Ashraf residents and the Quds Force against the residents of Ashraf.
9. These denigrating and abusive inspections were carried out in the presence of UNAMI observers who stood by and did not react or prevent these inhumane treatments.
10. At the time of inspections, a number of vehicles of the Iranian regime’s embassy in Baghdad and the Quds Force were present at the location of the Iraqi brigade. When residents were departing about 2:00 am, a number of Iranian regime’s agents who had gathered in front of Ashraf’s main entrance, threw rocks at residents’ buses.
Developments of February 17th and 18th clearly prove the previously announced positions of the Iranian Resistance that the Ashraf residents’ relocation project is carried out solely at the behest of the Iranian regime and is led by the Quds Force.
As it was announced previously by the residents, after their show of goodwill through the relocation of a group of 400 residents, it is now the time for the United Nations and the United States to provide the minimum guarantees for the residents, end the presence of police inside the camp and station the police outside the area of the camp, remove the barriers for moving the residents’ vehicles and movable properties and provide them with free passage or increase the camp’s area and open the camp’s doors to the lawyers and reporters.
Otherwise, Camp Liberty will be only a prison and not even a single more person would be willing to go there.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
February 18, 2012
