Source: Sky News, September 10, 2009
Some of the Iranian dissidents on a hunger strike in Iraq over a security forces operation are close to death, Sky News has been told.
Up to 1,200 people are not eating and they say they are prepared to die to draw world attention to the case of 36 residents from their community who have been held by Iraqi police since the end of July.
No word has been heard about the fate of those arrested.
Not only are residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq refusing food, but sympathy hunger strikes are being mounted in western cities across the world by friends and relatives.
In London there is a round-the-clock protest outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US Embassy.
Anger is being focused on America because US forces failed to intervene when Iraqi police went to Camp Ashaf, just under 40 miles north of Baghdad, at the end of July.
Residents say 11 people were killed and 400 injured when live rounds, sound grenades, axes, sticks and bulldozers were used against them by the Iraqi police and army.
Iraq said it had gone to set up a police station but was met with resistance.
We have also seen pictures of American military vehicles – given to the fledgling Iraqi security forces to establish law and order – seemingly used against them as they were indiscriminately driven at the crowd.
America says the security of the camp is a sovereign issue for the Iraqi government, having handed back security responsibility to the Iraqis in line with a troop withdrawal across the country.
Sky News has obtained pictures of hunger strikers inside the camp which is now closed to the world with journalists and outsiders barred by the Iraqis.
One resident, Hanif Mojtahedzadeh, told us the camp is under siege with Iraqi forces still inside and outside it.
He said he heard Iraqi forces during the operation say they were going to kill the men and rape the women.
Amnesty International has called on the international community to intervene fearing pressure is being put on the Shia-dominated Iraqi government from Iran to eliminate the camp of dissidents.
Ironically, the Iranian dissidents were first welcomed into Iraq more than two decades ago by Saddam Hussein who armed them to fight against Iran in the Iran-Iraq war.
These days the community – whose camp is more like a well-established small city – says it is a political movement which has laid down its arms.
The people now find themselves in a dangerous no-man’s land.
If they return to Iran they face persecution. Those on hunger strike stare death in the face whilst those who do chose to eat say they live in fear of what the Iraqi security forces will do next.
No word has been heard about the fate of those arrested.
Not only are residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq refusing food, but sympathy hunger strikes are being mounted in western cities across the world by friends and relatives.
In London there is a round-the-clock protest outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US Embassy.
Anger is being focused on America because US forces failed to intervene when Iraqi police went to Camp Ashaf, just under 40 miles north of Baghdad, at the end of July.
Residents say 11 people were killed and 400 injured when live rounds, sound grenades, axes, sticks and bulldozers were used against them by the Iraqi police and army.
Iraq said it had gone to set up a police station but was met with resistance.
We have also seen pictures of American military vehicles – given to the fledgling Iraqi security forces to establish law and order – seemingly used against them as they were indiscriminately driven at the crowd.
America says the security of the camp is a sovereign issue for the Iraqi government, having handed back security responsibility to the Iraqis in line with a troop withdrawal across the country.
Sky News has obtained pictures of hunger strikers inside the camp which is now closed to the world with journalists and outsiders barred by the Iraqis.
One resident, Hanif Mojtahedzadeh, told us the camp is under siege with Iraqi forces still inside and outside it.
He said he heard Iraqi forces during the operation say they were going to kill the men and rape the women.
Amnesty International has called on the international community to intervene fearing pressure is being put on the Shia-dominated Iraqi government from Iran to eliminate the camp of dissidents.
Ironically, the Iranian dissidents were first welcomed into Iraq more than two decades ago by Saddam Hussein who armed them to fight against Iran in the Iran-Iraq war.
These days the community – whose camp is more like a well-established small city – says it is a political movement which has laid down its arms.
The people now find themselves in a dangerous no-man’s land.
If they return to Iran they face persecution. Those on hunger strike stare death in the face whilst those who do chose to eat say they live in fear of what the Iraqi security forces will do next.