The Iraqi National Movement Secretary General Dr. Saleh Mutlak, also Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, issued a statement describing the measures of the Iraqi government in imprisoning Ashraf residents in Camp Liberty as shameful and breaching human rights and international laws and standards.
Excerpts of this statement issued on February 23rd are as follows:
“Camp Liberty is an all-out prison against the defenseless residents of Ashraf. There is no doubt for the Iraqi people and political forces that the project of transferring Ashraf residents inside Iraq was an Iranian project with the goal of annihilating the Iranian regime dissidents. The Iraqi government has now resorted to this relocation to a concentration camp.
“Iraqi MPs and national leaders had stressed that for the residents’ relocation to third countries there is no need to make them homeless and place them before various dangers. This relocation is a violation of international standards and the UN can in Ashraf carry out all the legal procedures regarding the residents’ relocation to third countries.
“This relocation is the shameful and disgraceful result of giving in to the Iranian regime’s influence and dictation in Iraq, and is carried out unfortunately by taking advantage of the name of the UN and violating numerous legal and human rights standards. Therefore, this process must swiftly be placed under international investigation. Prior to this, 47 of these defenseless human beings were murdered in the Iraqi government’s deadly attacks and international calls for investigations into this subject to this day have remained silent. Liberty’s gates must immediately be opened to reporters, lawyers, MPs and representatives of human rights and international organizations. Prison-making measures under foreign orders against those who have had legal presence in this country crosses our national red line and is also considered an aggression against the Iraqi people’s pride and honor. “