“As Iraqi Arab Muslims, we consider the Mojahedin of Ashraf as guests of Iraq and it is a duty among Arabs to protect their guests,” Adnan Ziab said, referring to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), 3,400 of whose members reside in Camp Ashraf.
In an interview with the Iraqi news agency on September 28, Mr. Ziab added, “The PMOI in Ashraf are viewed as refugees in Iraq under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which is an established convention. Therefore, their presence in Iraq is legal.”
He also said, “We do no act on the basis of the Iranian regime’s demands which opposes the presence of Ashraf residents in Iraq, because their presence in Iraq is an internal matter. We invite all sides to treat this case with wisdom, and not attempt to simply fulfill the Iranian regime’s demands.”