Source: Asharq al-Awsat (Arab-language daily), London, June 6, 2009.
The opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), which is headquartered in Camp Ashraf located in Diyala province, has said that the Iraqi police’s rapid deployment force has intensified a suppressive siege on Ashraf. It added that the police has blocked a road leading to the camp’s entrance and has prohibited entry of people and commodities to the camp.
Source: Asharq al-Awsat (Arab-language daily), London, June 6, 2009.
The opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), which is headquartered in Camp Ashraf located in Diyala province, has said that the Iraqi police’s rapid deployment force has intensified a suppressive siege on Ashraf. It added that the police has blocked a road leading to the camp’s entrance and has prohibited entry of people and commodities to the camp.
The Paris-based Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said in a statement yesterday that “a fully-equipped anti-riot force has amassed in front of Ashraf. At the same time, units from the rapid deployment brigade from the Ministry of Interior have also moved towards Ashraf.”
The statement, a copy of which was obtained by the German news agency, DPA, added, “Ashraf residents have gathered since the morning at the gate. The path leading to Ashraf has been blocked by police forces and vehicles equipped with heavy weaponry.”
Following police threats indicating a potential attack against Camp Ashraf, a number of German federal lawmakers and local parliamentarians in Berlin and Brandenburg wrote an urgent letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, demanding direct intervention. The parliamentarians warned about the occurrence of a humanitarian catastrophe in the event of an attack against the camp by the Iraqi police’s rapid deployment force.
Photo: Since 5:30 am (local time – Iraq) on Friday, June 5, rapid deployment forces of the Iraqi police at the entrance of Camp Ashraf, blocked the road and entrance to Ashraf. They blocked entry of goods and people to the Camp and intensified the suppressive siege of Ashraf. Eight members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran who were at the entry point of the Camp were threatened by arrest and death. A group of camp residents protest illegal intrusion by Police.