NCRI – On Saturday, April 6, Iranians took part in a rally in Berlin and Stockholm to warn of another imminent attack and a greater massacre at Camp Liberty, the temporary home of Iranian opposition members in Iraq. They called for immediate action by the UN, US and EU to guarantee the protection of defenseless Iranian refugees.
The protesters commemorated the memory of the victims of the April 8, 2011 attack of Iraqi forces who stormed the Iranian refugees in Iraq at behest of the Iranian regime, murdering 36, and wounding hundreds of them.
While protesting at the attitude of Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Iraq, Iranians reiterated that by providing promises of safety and security, quick resettlement and humanitarian standards, the representative of Secretary General sent Ashraf residents to a prison called Liberty against their will.
They stressed that Kobler knowingly and deliberately made Ashraf residents homeless in order to satisfy the Iranian regime and the Government of Iraq, and that his actions resulted in the death of 12 of the residents. They reiterated that Kobler must be held accountable for the current crisis before a fair and impartial authority.
They underscored that the issue of refugees and asylum-seekers at Ashraf and Liberty are completely within the mandate of the UNHCR and urged the High Commissioner for Refugees to undertake this responsibility immediately.
Many of the participants and demonstrators have family members in Camp Liberty. They underscored that collective security of the residents is the most important issue and must be solved immediately. They pointed out returning to the routine interviews or continuation of resettlement in small numbers would not solve any problem, rather it would further endanger the safety and security of the majority of the residents who would stay at Liberty. The protestors stressed that is why they urged the UN Secretary General to immediately return the residents to Ashraf, where they would enjoy relative safety until their resettlement in third countries.
The rallies are part of an international campaign in Europe and the US to guarantee the safety of defenseless Iranian refugees.
Despite assurances repeatedly provided by the UN and the US regarding the safety and security of the Iranian refugees, Camp Liberty was attacked by 40 rockets on February 9, 2013. Eight defenseless residents of the Camp were killed and more than 100 were injured.
Camp Liberty is the temporary place of residence of 3,100 members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the principal Iranian opposition movement. Agents of the Iranian regime in Iraq claimed responsibility for February 9 attack and have threatened further attacks on the defenseless refugees. The UNHCR issued a statement on March 1 expressing its deep concern for the fate of these refugees and the prospect of another attack.
Similar rallies are scheduled to take place in several cities in U.S.
