NCRI – Exiled Iranians gathered on Monday, in Paris across from the French National Assembly to protest the inhumane blockade on Camp Ashraf by Iraqi forces. The protection and respect for the rights of Ashraf residents, they demanded, must be guaranteed in accordance with international law.
Camp Ashraf, located northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, is the residence of close to 3,500 members of the main Iranian democratic opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
At the protest gathering in Paris, former Algerian Prime Minister, Sid Ahmad Ghozali, spoke to participants, noting that the siege on Ashraf and the restrictions imposed on it are illegal, and that the protection of Ashraf must be guaranteed. He added that from a political standpoint, ending the blockade would precisely serve the interests of the Iraqi people because Iraq will never be able to come to peace or establish neighborly relations with the mullahs ruling Iran.
Addressing the residents of Ashraf, Mr. Ghozali said: You are fighting for freedom, and I support you.
Gilles Paruel, jurist and former President of the Val d'Oise Province Bar Association in France, also spoke at the gathering, saying: The threats against Ashraf City are a cause for worry. I have visited Ashraf and have personally met with many members of the PMOI. For years they have been pressing on with a struggle to establish democracy in their country.
Mr. Paruel added: Today, the Iraqi Prime Minister is visiting our country, which has come to be known as the land of human rights. He must acknowledge the rights of Ashraf residents in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.
He also said: On April 24, the European Parliament passed an important resolution calling for the guaranteeing of protection of Ashraf City. The Iraqi government must implement this resolution.
Ms. Nahid Hemmat Abadi, an artist and member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said at the gathering: We want the Iraqi government to respect the demands of hundreds of MEPs who represent millions of European citizens as well as the demands of political and human rights figures, by implementing the articles of the EP resolution calling for the lifting of the unjust siege on Ashraf and the guaranteeing of its protection. By doing this, Iraq can demonstrate to the world that its government is acting in accordance with international principles and laws.
