Seventeen international human rights organizations from Russia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Italy, Mali, Morocco, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and Switzerland asked the UN Secretary General for immediate intervention to release 36 members of the PMOI taken hostage by the Iraqi forces and asked for establishing a UNAMI representative office in Ashraf.
The text of the letter is as follows:
Hon. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Secretary-General
United Nations
Secretary-General
United Nations
Dear Secretary-General,
We are deeply disturbed that following unprovoked attacks by Iraqi army and police against unarmed, defenseless residents of Ashraf Camp Iraq on 28 & 29 July 2009, 36 of the residents were forcefully taken away from the camp by the Iraqi forces. The attacks have so far left 11 residents killed by gun shots and 500 injured.
We reject and condemn using force and violence against residents of Ashraf Camp in Iraq where 3400 (1000 women) members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), opposition to the Iranian regime are residing.
Despite the ruling of an Iraqi court on August 23 in the town of Khalis ordering the release of the hostages which Iraqi media also reported on the same day, the Prime Minister’s office in Baghdad, at the behest of the Iranian regime, obstructed their release.
We are gravely concerned at the conditions of the 36 Ashraf residents who are in their second month of hunger strike to protest their inhumane captivity. We hold the government of Iraq responsible should anything happen to those people.
We urge you to interfere on this humanitarian issue asking the Iraqi government to immediately release the concerned residents of Ashraf and task your Special Representative in Iraq, Mr. Ad Melkert to make every effort on your behalf to prevent another attack against resident of Ashraf by engaging the USA and international community to establish a UNAMI representative office in Ashraf.
We are deeply disturbed that following unprovoked attacks by Iraqi army and police against unarmed, defenseless residents of Ashraf Camp Iraq on 28 & 29 July 2009, 36 of the residents were forcefully taken away from the camp by the Iraqi forces. The attacks have so far left 11 residents killed by gun shots and 500 injured.
We reject and condemn using force and violence against residents of Ashraf Camp in Iraq where 3400 (1000 women) members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), opposition to the Iranian regime are residing.
Despite the ruling of an Iraqi court on August 23 in the town of Khalis ordering the release of the hostages which Iraqi media also reported on the same day, the Prime Minister’s office in Baghdad, at the behest of the Iranian regime, obstructed their release.
We are gravely concerned at the conditions of the 36 Ashraf residents who are in their second month of hunger strike to protest their inhumane captivity. We hold the government of Iraq responsible should anything happen to those people.
We urge you to interfere on this humanitarian issue asking the Iraqi government to immediately release the concerned residents of Ashraf and task your Special Representative in Iraq, Mr. Ad Melkert to make every effort on your behalf to prevent another attack against resident of Ashraf by engaging the USA and international community to establish a UNAMI representative office in Ashraf.
Respectfully,
1- Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
2 -International Jurist Organization
3 -International Society for Human Rights – Australia
4 -Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom- Finnish Section
5 -ADALA association Morocco
6 -Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
7 -Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha(MASUM)
8 -Institut international des Droits de l’Enfant
9 -Japanese Lawyers International Solidarity Associations
10 -International Society for Human Rights – Sweden
11 -Italian Helsinki Committee for Human
12 -Citizens’ Watch- Russia
13 -Italian association of democratic lawyers
14 -Jananeethi& Jananeethi Institute for Justice- IINDIA
15 -African Women’s Development and Communication Network
16 – The Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights
17 – Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights
1- Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
2 -International Jurist Organization
3 -International Society for Human Rights – Australia
4 -Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom- Finnish Section
5 -ADALA association Morocco
6 -Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
7 -Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha(MASUM)
8 -Institut international des Droits de l’Enfant
9 -Japanese Lawyers International Solidarity Associations
10 -International Society for Human Rights – Sweden
11 -Italian Helsinki Committee for Human
12 -Citizens’ Watch- Russia
13 -Italian association of democratic lawyers
14 -Jananeethi& Jananeethi Institute for Justice- IINDIA
15 -African Women’s Development and Communication Network
16 – The Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights
17 – Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights