Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-president of the European Parliament: “Our motion for a resolution is a call to alert public opinion all over the world before a disaster takes place”
“People in Ashraf are there on a voluntary basis and they are free to leave whenever they want. They have the friendliest relations with the Iraqi population of the region. The intention of our motion is to protect these people.”
Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-president of the European Parliament: “Our motion for a resolution is a call to alert public opinion all over the world before a disaster takes place”
“People in Ashraf are there on a voluntary basis and they are free to leave whenever they want. They have the friendliest relations with the Iraqi population of the region. The intention of our motion is to protect these people.”
NCRI – The following is the text of speech by Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Friday 24, 2009, which adopted the resolution titled “Humanitarian Situation of Camp Ashraf Residents.” The resolution was adopted 284 against 42.
Dear colleagues this morning we will vote on a joint motion for a resolution cosigned by four political groups on the situation of the Ashraf refugee camp in Iraq. 3,500 Iranian men and women, members of the democratic opposition to the fundamentalist regime in Iran live there completely defenseless.
In the past weeks they have been under pressure and harassments by a fraction of the Iraqi government under the influence of the Iranian regime, and there is a high probability that at any moment a tragedy could happen that would parallel the ones we have witnessed in the Balkans not so long ago.
We all remember Srebrenica, and I have no doubt that there is no member in this chamber who wants a second Srebrenica in Iraq. Our motion for a resolution is a call to alert public opinion all over the world before a disaster takes place.
Unfortunately some colleagues have tabled amendments that could increase the danger for the residents in Ashraf Camp and provide the Iranian regime and its proxies in Iraq with arguments to massacre them. I have recently visited the camp myself and I assure you that the allegations included in the amendments tabled are absolutely unfounded.
People in Ashraf are there on a voluntary basis and they are free to leave whenever they want. They have the friendliest relations with the Iraqi population of the region. The intention of our motion is to protect these people. Nobody seems to understand that if these amendments are adopted, the result of the motion would be the exact opposite.
This is not a political issue, colleagues. It is purely humanitarian and it is really urgent. I beg you to vote against all amendments tabled to this joint motion supported by these four groups, and support the motion that has been agreed by these four groups, which have very different political stances. The lives of many innocent and harmless people depend on your vote. Please do not let them down.
Editor’s note: Ashraf City (Camp Ashraf), north of Baghdad in Iraq, is home to approximately 3,500 residents who are members of the main Iranian democratic opposition movement, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
