NCRI – Italian MPs, Elisabetta Zamparutti and Souad Sbai have called for the protection of 1,000 women in Camp Ashraf, where 3,400 members of the main Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), reside in Iraq. The parliamentarians have said:
“The violent attacks of Iraqi forces on July 28 and July 29 conducted on the orders of Nouri al-Maliki and at the behest of the clerical regime against Ashraf has led to the killed of 11 PMOI members, the wounding of 500 more, many of whom are women, and the hostage taking of 36. These events have shaken and worried the world.
“During the past year, many parliamentarians, political figures and human rights advocates repeatedly warned about this threat. However, the US government left Ashraf’s control to the Iraqi government which is extremely influenced by the ruling mullahs in Iran. This created a human catastrophe which is a case of crimes against humanity and the US has responsibility in this regard.”
Ms. Zamparutti and Ms. Sbai added: In light of the fact that there are fears about the potential of a more brutal attack by the Iraqi security forces with the aid of the Iranian regime with the goal of destroying Ashraf and kidnapping women residents there, we bring this issue to the attention of the public and international community, particularly human rights organizations and women’s rights advocates, and invite the American government to reassume protection of Camp Ashraf to prevent another unavoidable catastrophe. Since it has been proven that the Iraqi government has neither the ability nor the competency to protect the protection of Ashraf residents, in accordance with Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the US government must reassume the protection of Ashraf.
