The two parliamentary leaders demanded the observance of the rights of Camp Ashraf residents in accordance with international laws. Camp Ashraf, located northeast of Baghdad, is home to nearly 3,500 members of the main Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
The two parliamentary leaders demanded the observance of the rights of Camp Ashraf residents in accordance with international laws. Camp Ashraf, located northeast of Baghdad, is home to nearly 3,500 members of the main Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
According to the paper, Sheikh Khalaf al-Alyan said: The PMOI is a peace-seeking organization and the Iraqi government is obliged to fulfill international conventions and treaties, which guarantee the rights and protection of political refugees.
Azzaman also quoted Sheikh Khalaf al-Alyan as saying: International courts have in the past removed the PMOI from terror lists, because this organization is a national resistance and opposition movement. The EU has accepted these court rulings.
He added: In addition, the European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for an end to the siege on Ashraf as well as the prevention of forced displacement of its residents. This is because all international conventions and laws stress support for the PMOI and the legitimacy of their presence in Iraq as political refugees.
Sheikh Khalaf al-Alyan went on to say: The siege to which Ashraf City has been subjected for some time now is an inhumane measure and is in conflict with the Iraqi people’s principles which stress respect for our guests.
The leader of the Iraqi National Dialogue Council also condemned the shelling of villages in the border region of the Iraqi Kurdistan by the Iranian regime, and said: This military act is clearly in violation of international agreements and neighbors’ rights. A formal complaint must be submitted to the UN Security Council for the adoption of necessary measures with respect to such violations.
Usama Adbul Aziz al-Najafi, an MP and one of the leaders of the National Iraqi Front, said that in view of the EP resolution, sustaining the pressure on Ashraf residents would harm Iraq’s international credibility, especially since the EP resolution stresses the full rights of these refugees in Iraqi territory.
Talking with Azzaman, he stressed: The Iraqi government’s treatment of Ashraf residents, and the restrictions imposed on them with the aim of forcing them to leave their residence, is contrary to the Geneva Conventions.
The Iraqi MP urged the country’s government to revisit its position on Ashraf residents since they carry no weapons and since the Geneva Conventions must be implemented with respect to them.