NCRI – Nearly 150 families of members of the opposition People’s Mojahedin (PMOI), residing in Ashraf City, Iraq, marked the 200th day of their sit-in outside the United Nations High Commission headquarters in Geneva, demanding that the UN agency reaffirm the political refugee status of the PMOI members to which they have been entitled in the past 20 years.
The families came from most European countries as well as the United States and Canada.
The families are also protesting the UNHCR’s silence and inaction toward this extremely humanitarian issue and want it to take action before a human catastrophe occurs.
In recent months, under pressure from the Iranian regime, the Iraqi government officials have hinted that they will try to either extradite to Iran or expel Ashraf residents, which would put them at great risk.
Such a move in prohibited by relevant international conventions, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.
A number of Swiss members of Parliament and political personalities have already expressed support for the sit-in and its objectives. In today’s sit Mr. Pierre Vanek, a member of the Swiss Federal Parliament, was among the speakers and told the protesters that PMOI members are entitled to political refugee status and that he and his colleagues in the parliament will make every effort to ensure the safety and well-being of Ashraf residents.
Dr. Marc Henzelin, a distinguished international law expert, also spoke at the sit-in, emphasizing that according to all conventions and international law, PMOI members should enjoy political refugee status and any attempt to extradite them to Iran or involuntarily displace them would be a crime against humanity.
Other parliamentarians who have addressed the sit-in earlier include, Carlo Sommaruga Luc Barthassat and Ueli Leuenberger
Last month, the Parliament of Geneva adopted a resolution, underscoring the political refugee status of the PMOI and urging the UNHCR and the Swiss government to take all measures necessary to safeguard those rights.
