In a sign of goodwill gesture by the residents of Ashraf, the sixth convoy of 400 residents has been ready to move to Liberty since August 23. However, on the third day of inspections of residents’ belongings, the Iraqi government is preventing the transfer of many items including water air-conditioners, water heaters, kerosene heaters, maintenance tools and generators.
In a ludicrous scenario, a merchant collaborating with the Iraqi security forces claims that he has bought all the properties of Ashraf and based on his claim the Iraqi authorities are refusing to load residents’ belongings. Ambassador Martin Kobler, the UN and the US officials have been informed of the merchant’s claim in detail through letters on August 17 by the legal advisor and the lawyer of the residents. The merchant had stated that he was a trade partner of Nouri Maliki’s son-in-law who is now on the way to Tehran to meet with the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Meanwhile, on August 25, Fars news agency, affiliated to the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, wrote, “People of Iraq are against removal of the MeK from the list of terrorist organizations.” It appears that there is a political will that is deliberately obstructing the move of the sixth convoy from Ashraf to Liberty.
Representative of Ashraf residents had asked for immediate intervention of relevant US officials in order to facilitate the transfer of the sixth convoy.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 25, 2012
