On 8 April 2011, some 2,500 Iraqi armed forces attacked the defenseless and unarmed Iranian dissidents in Camp Ashraf on orders issued by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and at the behest of the Iranian regime. This brutal attack resulted in the murder of 35 residents, including 8 women, and 350 others being wounded. A number of Ashraf residents were crushed to death by armored vehicles.
There are clear signs of efforts by the Iranian regime and the Iraqi government to launch a new bloodbath in Ashraf; the armed Iraqi forces remain in the camp; the inhumane siege continues on the residents and many of the wounded are in critical condition due to lack of medical supplies; Iraqi authorities openly threaten the residents with expulsion and murder; and the Iraqi government prevented the European Parliament’s high ranking delegation to Iraq from visiting Ashraf in late April.
Forced displacement of 3400 unarmed refugees is unlawful and in violation of the United Nations standards, international law and International Humanitarian Law. Any displacement of Ashraf residents from the camp to any other location will only result in a new massacre and bloodbath and must be vehemently prevented until a final solution is achieved.
On 10 May 2011, the European Parliament’s Delegation to Iraq led by Mr Straun Stevenson offered a proposed solution for the issue of Ashraf according to which Iraqi forces must be removed from Camp Ashraf, the siege on the camp must end and the wounded and patients must have free access to medical treatment, all the belongings confiscated on 8 April must be returned to the camp residents and an independent inquiry into the crime of 8 April must begin. Then the Delegation will start its negotiations on the repatriation of the residents to the European countries, United States, Canada and Australia. We the undersigned support this proposal and urge the Iraqi government to fulfill the pre-conditions in order to remove the obstacles for resolving the matter.
We call on the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Madam Pillay (High Commissioner for Human Rights), Baroness Ashton (EU High Representative) and the international community to support the European Parliament Delegation’s proposal and act towards the following steps:
• The United Nations to assume protection of Ashraf and a UN monitoring team to be permanently stationed inside the camp, with support provided by the United States and European Union;
• Immediate departure of Iraqi forces from Ashraf, lifting of the siege and free access to medical treatment by the wounded and patients;
• Appointment of a representative by the UN Security Council to conduct an inquiry into the April 8th crime and to hold the perpetrators to account.