Baghdad pressures 7th convoy of Ashraf residents to transfer without assets

Al-Malaf website, 14 Sep 2012 – The Iraqi government continues to go back on its commitments to the UN Special Representative to Secretary General in Iraq, commitments regarding the selling of Ashraf residents’ immovable properties. This is a subject the Iranian regime has interfered with provocative remarks and by specifying a $3 million price tag, while the value of Ashraf residents’ immovable property is estimated at $500 million.
On the verge of the current preparations for the transfer of the seventh convoy, Ashraf residents – numbering at 680 – have been ready to go to Camp Liberty since September 12th and loaded their assets. However, the Iraqi government is placing a vast amount of pressure to prevent the transfer of their goods and property on the pretext of departing as soon as possible.
In a special phone call from Camp Liberty, Mr. Eghbal stressed on the initiative of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the seventh convoy is fully ready to relocate to Camp Liberty. However, as Mr. Eghbal emphasizes, the Iraqi government claims that not loading the assets and not relocating them to Liberty along with the transferring residents will speed the relocating process. However, the harsh conditions of Camp Liberty residents and their dire need for necessary supplies and appliances available in Ashraf has forced them to insist on demanding their transfer along with the residents, especially since the Iraqi government gave its commitment to the SRSG agreeing to the residents selling or transferring their moveable and immovable properties. Eghbal said heating and air conditioning units in Camp Liberty are broken down or are malfunctioning that doesn’t allow to function properly, and the very few that work adequately do not respond to the residents’ needs in Liberty. However, the Ashraf suppression committee – Mr. Eghbal is referring to the Special Camp Ashraf Committee affiliated to the Iraqi Prime Ministry – has ordered Iraqi forces to prevent the loading of heating and A/C units. This committee has also announced the transfer of power generators, passenger vehicles, minibuses and buses that the residents have purchased at their own expense is not permitted, Eghbal said, stressing on all receipts of these purchases being available.
Regarding the reason behind the Iraqi government not agreeing with the transfer of goods along with the residents of the seventh convoy, Eghbal says this stonewalling by the Iraqi government and speeding the departure is inexcusable in the residents’ transfer, and there are many concerns hidden inside such intentions because the Iraqi government, in cooperation and coordination with the Iranian regime, intends to steal and confiscate the residents’ assets.
On the current conditions in Camp Liberty and the recent unexpected visit of the camp by a delegation consisting of Maliki’s political advisor George Bakoos, Sadeq Mohammad Kazem, deputy SRSG Gergie Bastin alogn with a number of foreign diplomats and journalists in Baghdad, Eghbal said this visit took place without prior notice and was intended only for propaganda purposes to cover up the very bad conditions in Camp Liberty. The Iraqi government tried to cover up the true conditions of Liberty being a prison. Eghbal challenged Baghdad and said, “If Liberty is truly not a prison, the UN must recognize it as a refugee camp and allow the residents to transfer their assets, especially their power generators, medical supplies, passenger cars, utility vehicles and fork lifts.”
In this telephone call from Liberty, Eghbal stressed the residents of Liberty and Ashraf warn about their properties being stolen, calling on the UN Secretary-General, UN Security Council, US government, European Union and other international parties involved in this case to take measures to prevent the theft of their moveable and immovable property by representatives of the Iranian regime in Iraq. Eghbal added Camp Liberty must be recognized as a refugee camp to allow the residents enjoy freedom of movement outside the camp as announced by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and lawyers, journalists, MPs and human rights organizations to visit the camp.