Reporter: These are shocking scenes of attacks on Camp Ashraf. Ashraf is an Iranian refugee camp located north of Baghdad. In the July attack on the camp by Iraqi forces 11 residents were killed and 500 others injured. Ashraf is home to more than 3,000 Iranian dissidents.
Mother of Ghazal Afshar is one of those injured in the attack. Since then she has not been able to contact her mother.
Ghazal: I am sorry to hear this bad news from Iraq. Since the attack I have not been able to have any direct contact with my mother. I just know that she was among those injured in the attack and her arm was broken but she was released from the hospital.
Reporter: Ghazal is a 24-year-old university student in Rome. She has lived in Rome since she was 6. Her father and her aunt were among Iranian dissidents who were killed by the Iranian regime in 1988. She lives with her uncle and her aunt who are among Iranian activists in Italy. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has been based in camp Ashraf since 1986.
Ghazal: What happened there was indeed inhumane. The camp residents were supposed to be protected by the Americans but these atrocities were done against them. They were beaten and tortured; some of them were taken hostages by the Iraqi security forces. I don’t think that the world can ignore this situation.
Reporter: Following the American invasion of Iraq, The PMOI was disarmed and they were given that status of Protected Persons based on the Geneva conventions. In January, U.S. transferred the protection of Camp Ashraf to Iraqi forces. PMOI has considered the attack on them as crime against humanity that was ordered by Ali khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime. The PMOI states that attack on Camp Ashraf was done by Special Forces under the command of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The forces attacking Ashraf included members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Special Forces trained in Iran.
Mahmoud Hakamian from the National Council of Resistance of Iran: Nine people were killed in the attack. Two others died later due to their injuries. More than 500 have been injured and 36 taken hostage by Iraqi forces. Immediately they went on hunger strike to protest the illegal arrests.
Reporter: On behalf of these Iranian dissidents, Mahmoud Hakamian has started a campaign for protection of Camp Ashraf residents. They ask international community, specially the U.S., to do more to protect Camp Ashraf residents. They also demand the immediate release of the detainees. Their detention has continued despite a court ruling on their release.
Mahmoud Hakamian: We want the international community specially the U.S. to provide protection for Camp Ashraf residents. The U.S. had assured them of their protection.