Ashraf City, northeast of Baghdad, is home to nearly 3,500 member of the main Iranian democratic opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
In its statement, the committee referred to a European Parliament resolution passed in support of Ashraf on April 24, describing it as an exemplary international declaration in legal and humanitarian relations with Ashraf, and called on the Iraqi government to implement the articles therein.
The following is part of the text of the committee’s statement, published by the Iraqi News Agency:
“In its plenary session in Strasbourg on April 24, 2009, the European Parliament unanimously passed an important resolution calling for the guaranteeing of Ashraf’s protection, prohibition on any sort of displacement of Ashraf residents, and ensuring all of their rights in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
The adoption of this resolution was a victory for justice and rule of law, and an important human rights feat, neutralizing the plots and preparations aimed at triggering the occurrence of a human catastrophe. This motion demonstrated that the international community is not prepared to bow to the religious fascism’s blackmail to violate the rights of defenseless individuals using hollow justifications. This resolution also provided the international community with an acceptable precedent to respect law, justice, and humanitarian values.
We, the Iraqi Committee in Defense of Ashraf, join the European Parliament, which represents more than 500 million people of that continent, and also join millions of honorable Iraqis, in urging the Iraqi government to respect this resolution, take practical steps in implementing its articles, and end the siege on Ashraf residents.
The Iraqi Committee in Defense of Ashraf needs the help of all freedom-loving and honorable people to obtain this humanitarian objective, and through this humanitarian call, we ask everyone to help the residents of Ashraf.”