“I call on the Iraqi government to keep its promise to the United States and uphold its obligations under international law. Attempting to mollify the tyrannical, illegitimate Iranian regime at the expense of these pro-democracy activists would be a tragic mistake. I call on the Iraqi government to ensure the protection that these exiles were promised and to which they are entitled under international law.” – Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart Remark
in the Congressional Record
Calling on the Iraqi Government to Keep Its Promise and
Uphold Its Obligations under International Law
December 15, 2009
Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge the Iraqi authorities not to forcibly remove Camp Ashraf residents from the home where they have lived for over twenty years. International human rights groups such as Amnesty International have warned that forcibly relocating the Camp Ashraf residents will put the Iranian opposition group “at risk of arbitrary arrest, torture or other forms of ill-treatment, and unlawful killing.”
On July 29 of this year, I spoke out against the brutal attack that began on July 28 carried out by Iraqi security forces who were acting at the behest of the Iranian regime. The Iraqi security forces rolled over unarmed Camp Ashraf residents with tanks and beat them with sticks, killing at least nine residents and injuring many more. An injustice of this magnitude must not happen again.
If the Iraqi government forcibly moves these residents from their Camp Ashraf home, it will be breaking its promise to the United States and violating its obligations under international law. When these Iranian exiles voluntarily surrendered their weapons to U.S. forces in 2003, they did so in exchange for a promise that the U.S. would protect them. When the United States withdrew from the Camp Ashraf region, the United States and Iraq signed an agreement that the Iraqi government would continue to ensure their safety. Furthermore, Camp Ashraf residents are also shielded by international law because they are “protected persons” under Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
This attempt to move the Camp Ashraf residents to a remote prison in the middle of the deserts appears to be an ugly attempt by the Iraqi government to appease the Iranian regime. Groups such as Amnesty International warn that it may even lead to their forcible return to Iran. If returned to Iran, these members of the Iranian opposition would face almost certain torture and even death.
Madam Speaker, I call on the Iraqi government to keep its promise to the United States and uphold its obligations under international law. Attempting to mollify the tyrannical, illegitimate Iranian regime at the expense of these pro-democracy activists would be a tragic mistake. I call on the Iraqi government to ensure the protection that these exiles were promised and to which they are entitled under international law.
