NCRI , 16 December 2009 – It was announced at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday that 2172 mayors in France have signed a declaration condemning an Iraqi government decision to forcibly displace residents of Camp Ashraf, where some 3,400 Iranian dissidents reside in Iraq.
In their statement, the French mayors referred to an April 24, 2009 resolution passed by the European Parliament, and said, “Ashraf residents are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Iraqi government must respect their rights, refrain from their expulsion or relocation within Iraq and lift the siege imposed against them.”
The session was chaired by Senator Jean-Pierre Michel, mayor of Heri Kur, and attended by several other mayors. Dr. Saleh Rajavi, representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in France, also spoke at the event.
In a message to the conference, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, lauded the statement signed by 2172 French mayors in defense of the rights of the Iranian Resistance for democracy and freedom. Mrs. Rajavi said that failing to end the uprising, the religious fascism ruling Iran is trying in vain to destroy Camp Ashraf in a bid to pave the way for an all-out suppression of the Iranian people’s uprising. But it is the determination of Ashraf residents coupled with the protests of the arisen people of Iran which will decide the future of a free and democratic Iran.
Rajavi told the mayors that their support strengthens the global campaign in defense of Ashraf and in solidarity with the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people which spans across five continents and is tantamount to defending humanitarian values, human rights and the ideals of freedom and democracy.
Senator Jean Pierre Michel said: What the government of Iraq is doing to fulfill the demands of the Iranian regime with regards to Ashraf is first and foremost indicative of the instability gripping Tehran.
Senator Michel then displayed a book containing 2172 signatures by French mayors and presented it to Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian Resistance’s President-elect. He expressed hope that doing so would show Ashraf residents that they enjoy the support of the French people’s elected officials.
Dr. Saleh Rajavi, the representative of the NCRI in France, highlighted the persistence and escalation of the uprising of the Iranian people during the last six months, and said, “The Resistance’s voice is today echoed in Ashraf. In an illusive hope to silence the voice of opposition inside the country, the ruling regime in Iran has stepped up its pressures on the Iraqi government to destroy the organized opposition, close Ashraf, and relocate its residents to the southern region of the country. Such a move would put them at risk of getting massacred or fall victim to terrorist attacks by Iranian regime agents in Iraq.”
Mr. Dominique Lefebvre, Mayor of Cergy, said: All dictators act the same way when the end is upon them, especially when they are really weak. They tend to target the symbols of the people’s resistance. That is why they are targeting Ashraf in Iraq.
Jean-Pierre Becquet, the Mayor of Auvers-sur-Oise, said in his speech: What is significant about the support of more than 2,000 mayors for Ashraf is that they are the elected officials in France and they advocate human rights and democracy. They are saying that the residents of Ashraf are protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention and no one is entitled to threaten or abuse that right.
Mr. Gerard Charasse, a Member of the French National Assembly, said in his remarks that there are many French lawmakers who are also mayors. Lawmakers in France have backed this initiative by the mayors, he said.
He added that the statement has a profound message underscoring the awareness and sensitivity of French elected officials with regards to any form of abuse towards the situation in Ashraf, which is prohibited by the international law and the Geneva Conventions.
Mr. Germinal Peiro, another French MP, said: Our support for Ashraf means that we are lending support to the freedom-seeking struggle of the Iranian people.
The Secretary General of the France Libertes Foundation, Mr. Michel Joli, who attended the press conference on behalf of Danielle Mitterrand, former French First Lady and President of the Foundation, voiced support for Ashraf and reiterated that Ms. Mitterrand had written to Ms. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than a month ago warning about the possibility of displacing Ashraf residents.