In a letter addressing the U.N. Secretary General, Tom Tancredo, senior member of the US Congress Foreign Relations Committee emphasized the will of Ashraf residents’ families regarding continuation of Ashraf City protection by the United States.

The letter of Tom Tancredo reads:

House of Representatives
October 27, 2008

Honorable Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing to declare my support for the Iranian Americans, the families and relatives of the members of the main Iranian opposition who are in Ashraf-Iraq, and are protected by US forces. Today is the 40th Day of their sit-in outside of the United Nations building on 1st Ave.

About 3500 members of the Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI) currently live under the protection of United States Armed Forces in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. Although they have always been a target of Iranian Revolutionary Guards, recent developments point to coordinated efforts by the Iranian regime to have them returned to Iran, where they will face certain torture and execution.

In order to help avert a humanitarian disaster, members of the Iranian-American community from my district have joined others in an ongoing rally at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. This sit-in has been ongoing for almost a month now.

There are credible reports that Iran is pressuring Iraqi government officials to have the PMOI expelled from Iraq; especially using the ongoing Status of Force Agreement Negotiations between Baghdad and Washington. Parviz Sarvari, a member of Iran’s National Security Commission is recently quoted as saying that Iran ’must insist from the Government of Iraq that this action be taken’ and ’they be turned over to Iran for prosecution.’

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Amnesty International recently warned U.S. and Iraqi governments about the ’serious risk of torture or persecution’ if Ashraf residents are forcibly returned to Iran. Amnesty International ’urged both governments to provide promptly a firm assurance that they will prevent the forcible return to Iran of any Iranian refugees and asylum seekers, currently in Iraq.’

Iran and its sympathizers have taken the above mentioned positions despite clear international mandates which emphasize the need to protect the rights of the refugees in Camp Ashraf.

In 2004, the Multinational Forces-Iraq recognized the PMOI members in Camp Ashraf as ’protected persons’ under article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Since then, The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called on Iraq, the U.S., and other relevant authorities to respect the principle of non-refoulement when treating these individuals. In March 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHR) recognized their refugee status in Iraq and called on the same authorities to ’refrain from any action that would endanger the life or the security of these individuals, such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement insider Iraq.’

With full recognition of the applicability of these International Humanitarian Laws, the rally participants have urged the U.N. to ensure that the U.S. led MNF-Iraq continue to ensure the protection of Ashraf as long as they maintain a presence in Iraq, demand that this protection not be transferred to any other authority, ask that the U.N. Secretary General take an active role in this humanitarian crisis to ensure that the United States Military honors its obligations to protect the civilian persons in Ashraf.

My constituents and relatives of Ashraf residents are genuinely concerned about the safety of their loved ones in Camp Ashraf. Therefore, I am writing to urge you to personally meet with the rally organizers and its participants to hear their concerns in detail.

I trust that you will take an active role in this matter and help avert a humanitarian disaster.

Sincerely,
Tom Tancredo, M.C.