Tahar Boumedra, former Chief of UNAMI Human Rights Office & former Advisor to SRSG on Ashraf wrote in an open letter to the Acting SRSG for Iraq: “I urge the Acting SRSG to have the courage to stand up for the truth. History will haunt anyone who will hide the truth about the extra-judicial executions of 52 defenceless civilians.”
The text of the open letter follows:
Open letter to the UNAMI and the Acting SRSG in Iraq
by
Tahar Boumedra
Former Chief of UNAMI Human Rights Office & former Adviser to the SRSG on Ashraf related issues
1st September 2013
Today’s shocking attack against the 100 residents remaining in Camp Ashraf, as authorized caretakers of the Camp’s communal and individual properties, was predictable and preventable. It was predictable because the UN, the US, the EU and the rest of the international community knew well that Prime Minister al Maliki would not hesitate to resort to violence since he had not been accountable for his previous use of violence. . He did it on 28-29 July 2009 and repeated it on 8 April 2011. The Iraqi security forces raided the Camp and killed in total 47 residents. On both occasions, I was in charge of the fact finding missions and I have reported that the Iraqi security forces were responsible of extra-judicial killing. Both UNAMI and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called upon the government of Iraq to undertake an independent inquiry into the killings that took place to no avail. Neither UNAMI nor the OHCHR ever followed up their request for an independent inquiry. It was preventable had the promises made by the former SRSG Martin Kobler in his memorandum of understanding of 25 December 2011 been honoured.
I am writing this letter on the eve your visit to Camp Ashraf. You are fully aware that the GoI will resort to all kinds of deceptions to whitewash their crimes. They will deny any involvement and will blame the residents. On the basis of previous experiences you know they will provide you with false information. You also know that there is a tendency in the UNAMI not to challenge the Iraqi Government. But, I urge you to put aside such considerations. What happened today, by all definition is crimes against humanity. Let facts be the basis of your report and not false information to please the GoI. Let your conscience guide you on this humanitarian mission and not political expediency. In this respect let me share with you my own experience.
On Friday, 8 April 2011, while the Iraqi army attack against Ashraf was in progress and 17 residents were already killed, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Jerzy Skuratowicz and I went to urge the Iraqi National Security Advised Faleh Fayyadh , in his house, to order an immediate stop of the attack. He categorically denied that there was an attack. I asked him to authorise me to visit Ashraf on the same day in a fact finding mission. He refused. In the end I conducted a fact finding mission on 13 April and gathered factual elements proving that the Iraqi security forces did attack and killed in total 36 residents. On 14 April 2011, I reported to the Prime Minister’s Office in the presence of NSA Faleh Fayyadh, George Bakkoos, Political Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr Hamed Ahmad, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Office, and the security offices, Haqqi and Sadeq. Present with me from the US side was Ambassador Lawrence Butler, Political Advisor of the General Commander of the US Forces in Iraq. The NSA Fayyadh rejected the request for an independent inquiry. The international community never pressed the GoI for such an inquiry and the perpetrators enjoyed total impunity.
Today when I read the press reports about this new attack against Ashrafis who remained in Ashraf as caretakers of the properties based on a quadrant agreement between residents, UNAMI, US and Goi, I was shocked but I was not surprised. I knew this is coming and I warned against it in a public statement last month. However, what happened on 1st September 2013 is beyond belief. To arrest people, handcuff them and shot them to the face and the eyes; shot the injured who run for their lives to the nearby clinic, is by all standards a crime against humanity. Perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be brought to justice to answer for their crimes. Camp Ashraf is under strict control of the Iraqi Army since January 2009. UNAMI is fully aware that nothing could infiltrate into the Camp without the help of the Iraqi army and police. Nothing could happen in Ashraf without the participation of the Iraqi Army. Therefore the onus is on the government‘s side which must answer for this massacre. You are fully aware of these facts. You are also aware of UNAMI’s misreporting under SRSG Kobler. I am not telling you anything that you do not know. But I am reminding you of the huge responsibility which is on your shoulder today. Failure in reporting the truth, under any pretext and justification, will lay the ground for more bloodshed.
As a former UNAMI Officer who took the lead on Ashraf file for more than three years, I urge the UNAMI and the Acting SRSG who are visiting the crime scene tomorrow, 2nd September, to be truly impartial in their fact finding. To immediately make their findings available to the international community and to firmly stand against complaisance and impunity. I urge the Acting SRSG to have the courage to stand up for the truth. History will haunt anyone who will hide the truth about the extra-judicial executions of 52 defenceless civilians.
Tahar Boumedra
Former Chief of UNAMI Human Rights Office & former Adviser to the SRSG on Ashraf related issues