In a letter to the US President regarding the increasing pressures on Ashraf residents, the Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran wrote: ’As the world has witnessed, the Iranian regime and its leaders have no mercy for their own people. In these circumstances, the situation of Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where more than 3400 Iranian dissidents live, is of particular concern.’
The text of the letter is as follows:

June 29, 2009
The Honourable Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:
We have been following the news and political situation in Iran with great concern. As the world has witnessed, the Iranian regime and its leaders have no mercy for their own people. In these circumstances, the situation of Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where more than 3400 Iranian dissidents live, is of particular concern.
We have written to you before on the need for protection of Ashraf residents, since they have been recognized as ’protected persons’ under the Geneva conventions by the American and Multi-national forces. Unfortunately, since the official handover of the security of the camp to the Iraqi forces at the beginning of this year, residents have been threatened continuously with expulsion, forced relocation, and even extradition to Iran.
Camp Ashraf has been under various forms of siege for the past five months. Iraqi forces unlawfully blocked the entry of six trucks carrying food items on June 25, 26, 27 and 28th.. These shameful and unlawful acts can reasonably be attributed to pressure from the Iranian regime’s leaders, who are facing unprecedented internal dissent.
The Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad had demanded Iraqi officials in February 2009 to respect ’bilateral agreement’ to expel residents of Camp Ashraf.
The tightening of the Ashraf siege and violation of international treaties and the Geneva Conventions by the Iraqi government with respect to Ashraf residents, all at the behest of the Iranian regime, paves the way for a humanitarian catastrophe. According to ISNA News agency on June 29th, Mohsen Hakim, a well known agent of the Iranian regime said that from June 30th, ’Americans will not be able to even monitor the situation in Ashraf and the Iraqi government will have full control’.
The Iranian regime has shown time and again that whenever it is in a crisis, it tries to export it beyond its borders.
We urge you, Mr. President, to use your good offices to ensure that the residents of Ashraf are treated humanely and according to international law. The treatment should also be based on the agreements signed with the US government.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Hon. David Kilgour, JD Co-Chair, Ottawa
Raymonde Folco, MP, Montreal (Laval-les-Iles), Co-Chair
Paul Forseth, Co-Chair, Vancouver
Bernard Patry, MP, Montreal (Pierrefonds)
Carolyn Bennett, MP, Toronto (St. Paul)
Alan Tonks, MP, Toronto (York South- Weston)
Pablo Rodriguez, MP, Montreal (Honore-Mercier)
Tom Wappel, former MP, Scarborough
Maurice Vellacott, MP, Saskatchewan