NCRI – A group of British MPs and Peers are appalled at the indifference of British Government to the fate of 36 Iranian refugees detained by Iraq after a violent assault on their camp at Ashraf, north-east of Baghdad, at the behest of Iran’s mullahs.
In a letter published in The Times, the lawmakers who represent a majority of MPs and more than 200 Peers pledged that they will continue to do all they can to get their government and the UN to secure release of 36 Camp Ashraf residents held by Iraqi forces.
Source: The Times, 11 September 2009
Refugees’ plight
End our government’s shameful silence over the abuse of human rights at Ashraf by Iraq
Sir, We are appalled at the indifference of our Government to the fate of 36 Iranian refugees detained by Iraq after a violent assault on their camp at Ashraf, north-east of Baghdad, at the behest of Iran’s mullahs six weeks ago. They have been on hunger strike throughout the past six weeks.
Since their illegal arrest and Iraq’s defiance of a court order to release them, many are close to serious injury or death from their hunger strike. The 3,500 male and female refugees — 11 of whom were killed and more than 500 injured in the Iraqi attack on July 28 and July 29 — have protected person’s status under the Fourth Geneva Convention and rights under international humanitarian law not to be forcibly returned to Iran or involuntarily dispersed inside Iraq.
The 36 are demonstrating that they would rather die than abandon their struggle for a free Iran. We want to encourage them rather to live for a free Iran which we are also helping them to achieve.
We represent a majority of MPs and more than 200 peers and hereby pledge that we will continue to do all we can to get our government and the UN to secure their return to Ashraf and the safety and security of all who live there.
We are determined to end our government’s shameful silence over the abuse of human rights at Ashraf by Iraq, for whom so many British and coalition troops have given their lives to help them build democracy.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Dr Rudi Vis, MP, Lord Archer of Sandwell, QC, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, David Amess, MP, Lord Waddington, QC, David Drew, MP, Baroness Dean of Thornton-Le-Fylde, Lord King of West Bromwich, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, Brian Binley, MP, Baroness Turner of Camden, Baroness Verma
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