Over nine thousand Arab lawyers and jurists from 12 countries issued a statement demanding respect for Ashraf and Liberty residents’ rights.
1,950 lawyers from Egypt; 1,476 from Saudi Arabia; 1,624 from Yemen; 1,907 from Syria; 920 from Palestine; 571 from Jordan; 486 from Lebanon; 47 from Tunisia; 66 from Morocco; 13 from Sudan; 10 from Algeria and 9 from Libya.
The statement reads in part:
“At a time when the Arab Spring has spread throughout the Middle East and especially Arab countries, and the heroic people of Syria are uprooting the Syrian regime by sacrificing their loved ones, it is the criminal mullahs’ regime ruling Iran that is attempting to delay the Arab Spring reaching Iran by intensifying its export of weapons and dispatching its terrorists to Syria, and at the same pressuring its opposition in Iraq.
“Iranian dissidents in Iraq, members of People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, have through the past 25 years transformed a desert land into a complete city called Ashraf, with all necessary infrastructures worth over $500 million. They are considered refugees based on Iraqi and international laws and in 2004 were recognized with ‘protected’ status under the Fourth Geneva Conventions.
“Through these years, they established a deep bond with the Iraqi people and enjoy their widespread support. One such example is a petition signed by 5.2 million Iraqis supporting their presence in Iraq and recognizing their rights.
“Following the Iraqi government’s vicious attacks in 2009 and 2011 against Camp Ashraf, which faced extensive international condemnations, the Iraqi government – receiving its orders directly from Iran and its embassy in Baghdad on how to treat these refugees – demanded their expulsion from Iraq and their temporary transfer to Camp Liberty. Finally, after providing adequate assurances by the US Secretary of State and the United Nations, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi requested from the residents to forgo their undoubted rights after residing in Iraq for 25 years and agree to relocate. Mrs. Rajavi asked the residents to open the path for a peaceful solution in the face of Maliki’s plan to murder and surrender them to Tehran.
“Subsequently, based on the provided assurances and promises, the residents gave a positive response to this request and proved their goodwill by transferring to Liberty.
“On the other hand, however, the Iraqi government did not live up to any of its promises and practically transformed Liberty into a prison. According to human rights organizations and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, Liberty even lacks the legal and humanitarian minimums and standards of an ordinary prison.
“Furthermore, Iranian elements in the Iraqi Prime Ministry are attempting to plunder Ashraf residents’ properties. In this regard, in addition to preventing the transfer of necessary property to Liberty, they are also preventing the sale of these assets to Iraqi merchants. Recently, they intend to confiscate the residents’ properties through a merchant affiliated to the Iraqi government and misusing the Iraqi judiciary. This is while through the past 25 years Ashraf residents built Ashraf and purchased all its assets at their own expenses, with assistance provided by Iranian families and supporters inside and outside of Iran. Therefore, based on international and country laws, including Iraqi laws, no person and no official or government is not permitted to violate their property rights.
“This is obvious for everyone that the hands of Iran and Quds Force command are behind this conspiracy to deprive Ashraf residents from their assets and plunder them.
“We Arab lawyers and jurists from different countries who signed this statement announce the US government must end the PMOI terror designation by implementing the Washington court ruling.
“Ashraf and Liberty residents’ rights to transfer or sell their property must be respected. We call on the international community, United Nations and UNAMI to recognize Liberty as a refugee camp to have it placed under the full supervision of the United Nations and the UNHCR.”
“We call on the US government and the United Nations General Assembly, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to impel the Iraqi government to respect Ashraf and Liberty residents’ fundamental rights, including their right to property.
Supporters of this statement include:
Association of Egyptian Lawyers in Defense of Ashraf
Arab Counsel in Defense of Liberty Residents
Jordanian Counsel in Defense of Ashraf
Arab Counsel in Defense of Ashraf
Counsel in Defense of Human Rights in Iraq
Society of Independent Jurists in Defense of Human Rights in Iraq
Society of Women Arab Lawyers in Defense of 1,000 Ashraf Women Residents
The Jordan-based Al-Arab Al-Yowm daily covered the statement signed by over 9,000 Arab lawyers and jurists condemning prison-making measures in Camp Liberty. The signatories demanded Liberty to be recognized as a refugee camp and the residents’ property rights to be respected.
The Saudi-based Ilaf reported 9,080 Arab lawyers and jurists from 12 different countries stressed on their full support for Ashraf and Liberty residents’ rights, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and called on the United Nations to respect their rights based on international laws.
New Iraq News Agency – Over 9,000 lawyers and jurists from 12 Arab countries called on the United Nations to recognize Ashraf and Liberty residents as protected persons who enjoy refugee rights. Jurists from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan issued a joint statement announcing the UN must live up to its obligations by recognizing Liberty as a refugee camp. This statement calls on the UN General Assembly, the US government, Arab League and the OIC to impel the Iraqi government to carry out its international commitments and obligations towards the residents.
Baghdad newspaper reported over 9,000 Arab lawyers and jurists from 12 countries called on the UN to recognize the rights of Ashraf and Liberty residents as protected persons based refugee laws. The signatories of this statement from the countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan, including 182 members of judicial delegations and 219 official judicial inspectors of these countries, announced this transfer to Liberty was a mandatory relocation and a violation of international laws, and the UN must live up to its obligations by recognizing Liberty as a refugee camp.