The federation of associations for the defense and improvement of human rights in Spain, with UN and ECOSOC advisory ranking, issued a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Iraq and the US Ambassador to Iraq announcing the issue of Camp Ashraf is an important case for human rights activists and organizations such as our organization. Excerpts of this letter are as follows:
Since the International activities of His Excellency has made this international case to move forward, we have learned that the government of Iraq intends to set obstacles to prevent residents from taking their personal belongings and their cars to the new location right after the newly agreement signed with the UN’s special envoy to Iraq.
While the Iraqi government did not agree to the participation of Mrs. Rajavi and representatives of Camp Ashraf or even their lawyers in discussions on the fate of their clients between the Iraqi government and Amb. Kobler. This was despite the fact that in paragraph 66 of his July 7, 2011 report to the Security Council, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, had clearly stated, “I call upon Member States to help to support and facilitate the implementation of any arrangement that is acceptable to the Government of Iraq and the camp residents.”
To us this means that any relocation under such conditions would be deemed as a forcible relocation transferring them to the prison, which is inconsistent with international laws. Possession of property is a right for the residents and they should not be pushed into a situation to be treated as prisoners.
The way in which the first 400 residents are treated will have a direct effect on the remaining population in camp Ashraf.
We consider the UN and Your Excellency responsible to lead the humanitarian case of Camp Ashraf to a peaceful solution. We ask your intervention in resolving the outstanding impediments, otherwise there is always the threat that the Iranian regime try to disrupt the situation.
We urge you to press the government of Iraq to show flexibility in accepting the demands of Ashraf residents, since these residents have already gone beyond expectations in showing restraint and cooperativeness in order to reach a peaceful solution.
The organizations joining this call include:
• Asociación para las Naciones Unidas en España (ANUE)
• Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España (APDHE)
• Asociación para la Defensa de la Libertad Religiosa (ADLR)
• Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR)
• Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya (IDHC)
• Instituto de Estudios Políticos para América Latina y África (IEPALA)
• Justicia y Paz
• Liga Española Pro Derechos Humanos
• Movimiento por la Paz (MPDL)
• Paz y Cooperación
• Mundubat
• UNESCO Etxea
• Plataforma de Mujeres Artistas contra la Violencia de Género
• Coordinadora Estatal de Asociaciones Solidarias con el Sáhara (CEAS-Sáhara)