Ahmad Alvani, an official in the Iraqiya bloc, which won the March parliamentary elections, said, “Our obligations and the Fourth Geneva Convention dictate that we support them.” He was reference to the residents of Camp Ashraf, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The residents have rights as long as they stay in Iraq, he added.
Alvani said the Iranian regime’s meddling in the Iraqi government is clear and open.
“The residents of Camp Ashraf have ideals and a (political) position. The Iranian regime is not happy about their presence in Iraq. Therefore, it is pushing certain factions within the Iraqi government to exert pressures on the PMOI and close down the camp.”
“The US must support the residents of Ashraf,” Mr. Alvani added.
Another Iraqiya leader, Osama al-Najifi, said the residents of Ashraf are “guests of the Iraqi people and protected persons under international law,” according to Malaph news agency.
Najifi added, “Insulting the Iraqi people’s guests by any honorable Iraqi would be unacceptable.”
Malaph news agency added that Najifi believes the issue of Ashraf residents is an international and human rights issue and so should be handled by the United Nations instead of the government of Nouri al-Maliki.