September 22, 2013

Call to save the lives of seven Iranian hostages

The cruel massacre that took place on September 1 in Camp Ashraf shocked any and all freedom-loving consciences. Iraqi security forces entered the camp and clearly intended to annihilate all 100 Ashraf residents. They brutally murdered 52 of the residents and on the same day abducted and took seven others hostage, including six women and one man.Based on news obtained, these individuals are imprisoned in the al-Harut prison near Baghdad airport and there is a high risk of their extradition to Iran, and the fact that they be handed over to the Iranian regime where vicious tortures and death are awaiting them.Seven Iranian refugees are in the hands of Iraqi forces under continuous interrogations, and under severe physical and psychological pressures.The UN Refugee Agency in its statement published on September 13 stated: “According to reports reaching UNHCR, seven individuals formerly residing in Camp New Iraq disappeared from the Camp on 1 September, are being held somewhere in Iraq and may be at risk of being returned involuntarily to Iran. These seven are all known by UNHCR to be asylum-seekers, and the agency hopes to have an opportunity to interview them.”We call on the Italian government for urgent intervention in the relevant international organizations to call on the Iraqi government to release the seven hostages. We call on the US government, responsible for the safety of Iranian Resistance members in Iraq, to act based on its responsibility. Furthermore, we call on our government to intervene at the United Nations in order to station a 24-hour protective force for the security of Camp Liberty resident. It is worth noting that all Camp Liberty residents are protected persons and the international community has a duty to protect them.

Signatories of this statement:

Stefano Fassina
Michele Bordo
Edmondo Cirielli
Maria Valentina Vezzali
Giovanni Burtone
Ileana Argentin
Antonio Palmieri
Alfonso Bonafede
Nazzareno Oliverio
Fuscia Nissoli
Benedetto Fucci
Francesca La Marca
اAlessandro Pagano
Pietro laffranco
Adriana Galgano
Paolo Nicolo Romano
Gianni Farina
Ignazio Abrignani
Matteo Orfini
Maria Luisa Gnecchi
Rocco Buttiglione
Colomba Mongiello
Paolo Vitteli
Angelo Capodicasa
ِEzio primo Casati
Eleonora Bechis
Raffaele Fitto
Nazarino Pilozzi
Toni Matarrelli
Gianluca Buonanno
Roberto Capelli
Erasmo Palazzotto
Antonio Placido
Giorgio Zanin
Gianluca Vacca
Luigi Gallo
Matteo Mantero
Sofia Amoddio
Sandra Zampa
Federico Fauttilli
and former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno