The signatories described the recent writ as a “turning point” for the international responsibilities in face of “crime against humanity.”
“A Spanish National Court, in its 11July 2011 writ, accepted the complaints against perpetrators of April 8th massacre in camp Ashraf which resulted in 36 death and 350 wounded.
The writ is a turning point for international responsibilities in face of crime against humanity, and a major development in post war Iraq. According to the ruling, the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki will automatically be summoned immediately when his term ends and no longer enjoys judicial impunity,” the statement said.
The jurists and lawyers from Iraq Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and United Arab Emirates, declared that:
1) We call for establishment of a transparent and impartial international committee as an urgent need to investigate the crimes of April 8th 2011 committed by Iraqi forces in Ashraf.
2) Any committee with a mandate from Iraqi prime minister to investigate April 8 crimes is legally incompetent, because the prime minster himself is accused by the court.
3) The Committee for Closure of Camp Ashraf is incompetent and must be dissolved. The committee is responsible for inhumane siege of camp Ashraf and has been involved in massacres and psychological torture of Ashraf residents in the past 30 months. We urge the United Nations to take charge of the issues related to Ashraf and end the inhumane pressures on 3400 unarmed, defenceless residents of Ashraf.
4) According to 22 legal opinions written by the distinguished international lawyers and jurists, protection of Ashraf residents must be handed over to the U.S. forces under supervision of the United Nations.