This week, in the latest development in a series of cruel actions against Camp Ashraf, the Iraqi committee in charge of suppressing the camp, where about 3,400 members of the main Iranian opposition reside, prevented four trucks carrying basic necessities for the residents to enter the camp.
Dr. Saleh Mutlak, a senior leader in the al-Iraqiya list and the Secretary General of the Iraqi National Movement, and the Independent Association of Jurists in Defense of Human Rights in Iraq condemned the suppressive committee’s actions and called on the UN and US government to guarantee the protection and rights of the residents as “protected persons” under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
According to Azzaman International, “The Association of Independent Jurists in Defense of Human Rights in Iraq released a statement urging international delegations, the European Parliament, the US Congress, human rights organizations and the UN to intervene in order to guarantee the safety and respect for the rights of the residents and to ensure [Iraq’s] compliance with the Geneva Conventions and international law.”
The daily added, “Dr. Saleh Mutlak, a leader in the al-Iraqiya coalition, underscored the imperative of recognizing the rights of Ashraf residents in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and ensuring their protection by the UN. He stressed that the residents must be protected on the basis of legal obligations and the US is duty-bound to provide such protection.”
Azzaman also wrote, “Dr. Mutlak described the provocative actions against Ashraf and the attacks against its residents as examples of crimes against humanity and contrary to the teachings of Islam.”
“The siege on Ashraf must be lifted and the residents must be treated in accordance with Islamic and Arab values,” Dr. Mutlak was quoted as saying.