STRASBOURG, Jan. 26 (Reuters) – The Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe denounced Wednesday the prison conditions that the Iraqi government intends to impose on Iranian dissidents refugees on its soil.
The “Camp Liberty”, a former U.S. Army base near Baghdad airport, which is to host some of the 3,000 Iranian refugees in Camp Ashraf, is about to be transformed into a prison, they say in a declaration adopted in Strasbourg.
The territory originally allocated to residents “has been reduced by 80 times” and surrounded by concrete walls, according to the text of the statement.
“The Iraqi police must permanently be present inside the camp and freedom of movement is prohibited,” said the statement.
The Political Affairs Committee asked the Iraqi government to respect international standards for refugees and “calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to stand up for their rights.”
Camp Ashraf, the Iraqi government is seeking its evacuation, is home for 25 years to more than 3,000 opponents belonging to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), which is considered by the United States and Iran as a terrorist group.
The situation of these refugees, recognized as such by the United Nations, has become critical since 2009 when the U.S. army handed over control of the camp to authorities in Baghdad. PMOI fears that it would pay the price for rapprochement with Tehran.
Several hundred of these refugees should be welcomed by the West by the end of the year.
(Gilbert Reilhac, edited by Yves Clarisse)
(Translated from French Reuters News)
