Canadian Rights Activists: Violation of rights of Camp Ashraf residents must end

NCRI  – Hon. David Kilgour, former Canadian minister and human rights activist, said on Thursday in Geneva: “The human rights violations against Camp Ashraf residents must stop immediately.”  David Matas, the renowned Canadian lawyer, said that we were determined to prevent human rights violations against residents of Ashraf with the assistance of international human rights organizations.

Camp Ashraf located northeast of Baghdad is home to 3,500 members of the main Iranian opposition, The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI). In recent months, the Iranian regime has pressured Iraqi officials to expel Ashraf residents.

NCRI  – Hon. David Kilgour, former Canadian minister and human rights activist, said on Thursday in Geneva: “The human rights violations against Camp Ashraf residents must stop immediately.”  David Matas, the renowned Canadian lawyer, said that we were determined to prevent human rights violations against residents of Ashraf with the assistance of international human rights organizations.

Camp Ashraf located northeast of Baghdad is home to 3,500 members of the main Iranian opposition, The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI). In recent months, the Iranian regime has pressured Iraqi officials to expel Ashraf residents.

Hon. Kilgour and Matas spoke in a rally by Iranian exiles across from the United Nations European Headquarters in Geneva on Thursday. The protesters, a number of them with relatives in camp Ashraf called on the Iraqi government to respect the rights of camp residents in accordance with international conventions.

David Kilgour defended the legal rights of Ashraf residents and referred to opinion presented by the renowned British Jurist, Michael Wood and said that Displacement of Camp Ashraf residents was illegal. He added that their forced displacement violated the Article 7 of statute of the International Criminal Court.

In his speech, David Matas reiterated the dangers faced by Ashraf residents. He said that a number of international organizations were dealing with this problem and he together with his colleagues were working closely with them to put an end to the violations of rights of Ashraf residents.