Press release, 27 December 2013 by Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
Camp Liberty attacked by dozens of rockets
At 21:15 Baghdad local time last night Thursday 26 December, Camp Liberty where some 2900 refugees, members of the main Iranian democratic opposition PMOI-MEK, reside near Baghdad airport, was targeted by dozens of missiles leaving several dead and more than 50 wounded so far.
This is the 4th of such attacks on Camp Liberty this year. The US Government which transferred the security of the residents to Iraqi forces at the end of 2008 said it had obtained written assurances from Iraqi authorities to protect the residents. However numerous attacks have been carried out against the residents since, many of them directly by the Iraqi forces, with over 100 lives lost and a thousand injured. This does not include those residents who have died due to inhuman medical restrictions imposed by Iraqi government during the same period. A further seven residents, including six women, were taken hostage by Iraqi forces during the raid of 1 September on Camp Ashraf.
Iranian regime’s news agency, IRNA, has reported this week that the body of one of the 7 hostages was in the hands of the Iraqi forces. This is contrary to ridiculous claims by US State Department, also implied by the EU, that there are no reasons to believe Iraq had anything to do with that brutal massacre and the whereabouts of the hostages!
Last night’s attack is yet another irrefutable proof that Iraqi government of prime minister has no intention to protect the residents and thus the US Government, which signed a written agreement with every resident of the Camp to protect them “until their final disposition”, bears direct responsibility for this tragedy.
The US should immediately provide protection to the residents and transfer them to US with no further delay. This is the legal and international obligation of US.
It is also essential that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees publicly declares that all residents in Camp Liberty are political refugees as a preventive measure against Maliki’s further aggressions.
The world community, especially the United States, the UN Security Council and European Union must force Iraq to provide minimum security measures for Camp Liberty. This include returning 17500 T-Walls to the Camp, transferring the residents’ helmets, vests and medical equipment from Ashraf to Liberty, allowing construction of dual layer roof security for the buildings and expanding Liberty’s living area.
Mrs Ashton must also firmly act to condemn Iraq for both the massacre of 1st of September and its failure to provide any security to these defenceless people.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Vice-President of the European Parliament
President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) enjoys the support of over 4,000 parliamentarians throughout the world
