The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) expressed its determination to file a legal case against Iraqi leaders participating in clashes that happened on July 28 between Iraqi forces and residents of Camp Ashraf located northeast of Baghdad.
At a press conference organized by the International Committee of Jurists in Defense Ashraf residents in Paris on Tuesday, Maryam Rajavi announced that the attack by Iraqi forces against the camp led to the killing of 9 residents, wounding of 500 and arrest of 36 members of the PMOI.
The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) expressed its determination to file a legal case against Iraqi leaders participating in clashes that happened on July 28 between Iraqi forces and residents of Camp Ashraf located northeast of Baghdad.
At a press conference organized by the International Committee of Jurists in Defense Ashraf residents in Paris on Tuesday, Maryam Rajavi announced that the attack by Iraqi forces against the camp led to the killing of 9 residents, wounding of 500 and arrest of 36 members of the PMOI.
Rajavi added that the decision of Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to attack defenceless political refugees who have been residing legally in Iraqi territory for the past 23 years, was a decision to commit what she described as crimes against humanity. She underscored that her organization “will file cases in courts at the international and national levels in countries around the world against all officials who had a hand in committing these crimes.”
Rajavi called for the immediate withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Camp Ashraf and the establishment of a UN-supervised international force to protect the camp. She said that she has issued a call to the Arab world, the EU, the UN, and the US in this regard.
Rajavi also demanded that the American forces take temporary control of Ashraf until international forces are ready to take over responsibilities.
International inaction
Francois Serres, Director of the International Committee of Jurists in Defense of Ashraf, condemned what he called the inaction of international community in the face of “the violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention with regards to the rights of refugees by the Iraqi government.”
The French lawyer referred to the fact that in 2003 the United States signed an agreement with all Ashraf residents that in exchange for handing over their arms the refugees of Ashraf will be protected by the US until the determination of their final status. He added that the US has direct legal responsibilities with regards to the situation in Ashraf.
He also said that article 45 of the Geneva Convention allows the US to re-establish control over Camp Ashraf, a responsibility it transferred to the Iraqi forces in January.
In response to a question from Aljazeera.net, the director of the international committee of jurists said that the committee is comprised of 8500 international lawyers and will legally pursue the case of “the participation of all of the individuals in this crime including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and commanders and individuals of the security units by whose orders the attack against the refugees took place.”
Dozens of PMOI supporters gathered at the Human Rights Square (in Paris) on Tuesday for the 12th consecutive day and chanted slogans in condemnation of the regimes in Iraq and Iran while calling on France and the EU to take measures to ensure the rights of the residents of Ashraf.