Recently, Iraqi forces loyal to the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attacked the residents of Camp Ashraf, where 3,400 members of the main Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), reside. The camp’s clinic, where terminally ill patients are staying at, was also the subject of the incursion.
Dr. Tamimi also condemned last Tuesday’s execution of Mr. Ali Saremi by the clerical regime, a political prisoner who spent 24 years of his life in prison during the Shah and clerical dictatorships. He particularly condemned the fact that the execution took place on charges of Mr. Saremi’s visit to Ashraf to meet with his son, Akbar.
Dr. Tamimi pointed out that according to Islamic guidelines, among the most basic rights of a detainee, is the opportunity to meet with family members. No one should be punished merely for practicing this right, he said.
The former Palestinian chief justice called on the international community, the United Nations, and other humanitarian organizations and freedom-loving people around the world to immediately intervene in order to ensure international protection for Camp Ashraf residents. He said international organizations should contact Iraqi officials to convince them to lift a two-year siege on the camp and remove restrictions on medical treatment and other necessities.
He said those patients who are suffering from deadly illnesses should especially be guaranteed medical treatment, pointing to the imperative to protect their right to live.
Dr. Tamimi emphasized the imperative to observe commitments based on Islamic teachings and international humanitarian conventions which proscribe obligations to protect citizens in times of war. He said the rights of Ashraf residents, Palestinian refugees and others who are guests in Iraq should be protected until their final return to their homeland.