By: Nazzar Jaf
Source: Elaph website – February 22, 2009
Following is a translation from Arabic text
The situation of Iranian families who wanted to see their relatives, members of the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), is still unresolved with many complications and problems. They came in secret without the knowledge of the Iranian regime to see their children after spending arduous years apart. Less than 600 meters away from the entrance of Ashraf City, the bastion of the PMOI, these families eagerly await to be allowed to enter the city.
They are 6 families, altogether 19 individuals, brought into two units located in front of Ashraf City for inspection and security matters. These are two small units which cannot fit all the families inside. There are no facilities for personal hygiene, and it has been two weeks since they last had a chance to shower. They cannot exit the units and only have some basic goods sent from PMOI members in Ashraf City. The PMOI and the Iraqi government are locked in a war of words with one another regarding the entrance of these families to Ashraf. Authorities in Ashraf City vehemently deny the Iraqi government’s accusations and insist that they [the PMOI] will under no circumstances lower themselves to the level of playing games with the fate of these innocent families; Families whose only crime is to wish to see their children after spending years apart.
The Iranian opposition in Paris has revealed classified information about the pressures imposed by the Iranian government to its Iraqi counterpart in order to inflict damage to Ashraf City residents. Iranian opposition sources have told Elaph that they have emails and other relevant documents in this regard, which they can provide to any independent international organization or the UN fact-finding mission in Geneva. Witnesses are also ready to testify in court in case the need arises.
The opposition sources say that the Iranian regime has emphasized in these documents that the Iraqi government must act in a manner as to compel Ashraf residents to return to Iran, and must also announce that all the residents except 54 people have been pardoned by the Iranian government. The evidence from the Iranian opposition in Paris includes the demand to try and punish the 54 individuals in Iraq. According to the evidence, no Iraqi or foreigner must be allowed to enter Camp Ashraf without the official authorization of the Iraqi government and prior knowledge of the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad. The documents also indicate the Iranian government’s intention to transform Ashraf into a prison. The Iraqi government must also form a spy team made up of individuals who speak Farsi in order to extract information from Ashraf residents, the documents say.
To investigate the issues they face, Elaph met with the family members.
The Iraqis Confiscated Our Passports
S.D. is 50 years old and awaits to see his son. Elaph asked him how long he has been waiting to get permission to enter Ashraf City to see his son. He said in reply, “First of all, after the Islamic Republic regime announced that the Iraqi forces are going to expel Ashraf City residents and will turn them over to Iran or other countries, we became worried about the fate of our kids in Ashraf. Since the first day we came here, which was eight days ago, they refused to grant us permission to enter Ashraf and meet with our children. But, more importantly, Iraqi officials have confiscated our passports. This has worried and terrified us because if the passports get into the hands of Iranian officials, this will subject us to more danger than we are already faced with.”
He indicated that it has been more than 10 years since he saw his child last. Regarding the obstacle for meeting his son and the parties most benefiting from such a thing, he said, “The Iraqi officials have not given us any explanations, and this is what has us worried about Ashraf residents. A month ago, 18 people who wanted to come to Ashraf for a visit were arrested in Tehran. The party benefiting from such obstruction is the Islamic Republic regime, which is certainly neither a republic nor even Islamic.”
When asked why they have not communicated their predicament with international organizations, he says with regret that, “Unfortunately, there are no resources for us to communicate with the outside world. We only have a mobile phone whose battery is running out. So, we don’t have the opportunity to contact the responsible international authorities and share our problems with them. And, because Iraqi officials have confiscated our passports, we are also unable to go to the nearest city and express our concerns to the outside from there.” When asked if he anticipates the issue to be resolved, he said, “In view of the fact that we have heard a lot about the hospitality of Arabs and the good standing of the Iraqi people, we hope that this issue gets resolved, but provided that the Islamic Republic does not meddle in Iraq.”
We were very excited coming here, but now hope that this excitement will not turn into pessimism
Ms. “Hangameh A.,” 49, told Elaph that, “We came to Ashraf with a lot of joy and excitement, but were confronted with Iraqi soldiers who prevented us from entering Ashraf. We have been here for seven days in two small units awaiting an authorization to enter.” Regarding what hindered their entrance to Ashraf to visit their families, Hengameh told Elaph, “Initially Iraqi soldiers prevented us from entering. A committee on behalf of Muwaffaq al-Rubaie informed us that we can only see our children in Ashraf for two hours and outside of Ashraf City.” She has come to Ashraf to see her kids whom she has not seen for more than five years, and hopes to meet with them at the earliest possible opportunity. Concerning the rationale for the prevention of their entry to Ashraf City so far, she said: Whenever we ask this from the Iraqis, they tell us that they have orders from higher officials.
Muwaffaq al-Rubaie prevents us from entering Ashraf
Mahin K., a 16 year old girl, explains that she had come to Ashraf with a lot of enthusiasm to see her aunt, but was shocked to find Iraqi soldiers not allowing this to happen. She says that her aunt came to Ashraf nearly eight years ago, and points to the horrible conditions inside the two units they are staying at in order to get permission to enter Ashraf. She also mentions that there are some among the families who are ill and the conditions there are intolerable for them. “There is not a single ounce of compassion or sympathy in the heart of Muwaffaq al-Rubaie,” she stresses. Mahin hopes to see her aunt who left her 15 years ago from up close. She also wants to see how her aunt is living in Ashraf and what she does during the day. When we told her that Iraqi officials claim that the PMOI are preventing the families’ visit to Ashraf and not the Iraqi authorities, she said, “This is a complete lie and an accusation. The PMOI are fully ready to greet us inside Ashraf, but Muwaffaq al-Rubaie is the person who does not agree to this and has issued his own orders in this regard.” In the end, Mahin stressed that the only benefactor of the current dilemma is the Iranian regime.
Another teenage girl, “R. R.,” 17, said in response to a question about getting help from responsible international organizations that after waiting for nearly 10 years to see her brother and uncle, and after tolerating horrible conditions and accusations while entering [Iraq], she came to visit Ashraf with several of her family members, but was prevented to enter by Iraqi soldiers. Now it has been more than eight days that she has been waiting in vain. She points to the bad conditions they are faced with while waiting for authorization to enter Ashraf, and ridicules the claim that the PMOI are preventing them from entering Ashraf. How can one believe such a silly claim, she asks, adding, “Is it rational for sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, to punish their relatives who wish to see them or exploit them for the attainment of ambiguous and undignified objectives?” She said that when she was seven her brother and uncle joined the PMOI and she cannot wait to see them. She is sure that they feel the same way, and is shocked at attempts to transform Ashraf to a prison by preventing visits and proposing a mere two hour meeting with their relatives outside of Ashraf. As we all know, this is something that takes place at [Tehran’s] Evin prison. R.R. mentions that she and other family members have written letters to international organizations describing their situation and have called upon them to help and intervene. But, so far, they have not received a response that would alleviate their pain.
Mr. Jahan S., 32, says that he was astonished to see Iraqi soldiers preventing him from entering Ashraf City, and emphasizes that the Iranian regime does its best to close down Ashraf City. He adds that he has come here to see his son who parted from him more than 10 years ago, but met resistance from Iraqi soldiers. He underscores the fact that PMOI members are burning with the desire to greet them inside the camp but that Iraqi officials do not acquiesce, insisting that the meeting must take place outside the camp instead.
