Camp Ashraf (Ashraf City), located northeast of Baghdad in Iraq is home to some 3,500 members of the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK). In the past few months its residents have come under pressure upon the request of Iranian regime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who wants the Camp closed and residents expelled.
Many international organizations have issued statement expressing concern about the rights of Ashraf residents including Amnesty International. Many Iraqi political leaders have called on Iraqi government to acknowledge the rights of Ashraf residents in writing based on the Geneva Conventions.
Sheikh al-Anizan reiterated the Iraqi government’s obligation to protect Ashraf residents based on international conventions and treaties.
He added: “PMOI members are Iraq’s honorable guests. They are considered protected persons and enjoy the right to political asylum based on Geneva Conventions. Unfortunately, so far Iraq has not honored any of the international conventions. We denounce Iranian regime’s pressure to expel PMOI”.
He continued: “Ashraf residents are not involved in armed struggle and do not interfere in Iraqi affairs, therefore nobody is allowed to displace or besiege them. PMOI’s expulsion is a big mistake because they are vital in confronting the Iranian regime’s meddling in internal Iraqi affairs.”