In a letter to US Vice President Joseph Biden, the Association of Egyptian Jurists in Defense of Ashraf expressed its support for the 24 November European Parliament resolution and demanded an end to the cruel siege enforced on Ashraf residents, and a guarantee for their protection and security.
Signed by 54 Egyptian lawyers and jurists, this letter calls on the US Vice President:
“We in the Association of Egyptian Jurists in Defense of Ashrafapprove and support the written declaration issued by the majority of the European Parliament on 24 November on Camp Ashraf. This declaration has mentioned the Iraqi government’s lack of acknowledgement of the European Parliament’s former resolution on Ashraf, and the atrocious siege that this government has imposed on the camp. This declaration also calls on the US and UN to provide urgent protection for Ashraf residents.
Mentioning the crimes of Nouri Maliki’s forces against Ashraf residents carried out to gain Tehran’s resentment, the following requests have been stated in the Association’s call:
– Iraqi armed forces must leave the premises of the camp and settle in the buildings and facilities outside the camp that were allocated to them by the residents in early 2009for this very reason.
– The UNAMI monitoring team along with the U.S. forces monitoring group must station in Ashraf to observe the facts and conditions in the camp.
– The cruel siege on Ashraf must be lifted so that the residents may have complete access to all necessary goods and services, especially dire medical treatment.
– The psychological torture enforced by MOIS agents on Ashraf residents, carried out with the complete and all-out support of Iraqi forces at Ashraf’s entrance, must be brought to an end.