MIL/GBA, Feb 3, 2011.
New Delhi, India: February 3, 2011 -IR Summary/GBA –
Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist, Lead Man of God Believers Association (GBA), World Peace & Human Rights Mission, urges United Nations Secretary General to stop Iraq govt. for violating human rights against the Camp Ashraf in Iraq and to treat them as “Protected Persons” under the 4th Geneva Convention by the US government through an official letter presented to each and every resident.
The only solution for preventing another humanitarian catastrophe in Ashraf from the Iraqi government is to recognize this status so as to enable the Ashraf camp people to live peacefully.
Iraqi Govt. is grossly violating human rights in the matter related to 3400 Iranian Opposition members, who have been living in Iraq in the status of refugees for many years. From the beginning of 2009, the US government had transferred the protection and control of Camp Ashraf, home to 3400 Iranian Opposition members, to Iraq.
This shift was ordered against the will of Ashraf residents, human rights organizations including God Believers Association (GBA), and MPs from all over Europe and the United States.
I would like to mention a little background that following the July 28-29, 2009 attacks under which 11 Ashraf residents were killed and hundreds of others were wounded, not only the situation in the camp deteriorated, but also the assaults and acts of tyrannies against Ashraf residents mounted at multi level, as if there is no value for life.
During three months from October 1, 2010 until January 7, 2011 six brutal attacks took place, wherein around 221 Ashraf residents including 94 women were critically wounded.
The attention of Iraqi officials – especially Nouri al-Maliki – to international calls regarding the rights of Ashraf residents will have dangerous consequences, being the foundation of all aggressions and suppression against the residents. For this exact reason, the situation in camp Ashraf has become a humanitarian issue for the international community.
From 2003, Ashraf residents were acknowledged as ‘protected persons’ under the Fourth Geneva Conventions by the US government through an official letter presented to each and every resident.
The European Parliament, in its resolution of 25 November 2010 approved by the majority of its members, stressed on the status of Camp Ashraf residents based on the 4th Geneva Convention and ‘protected persons’, calling on the Iraqi government to officially recognize this status regarding members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) in Camp Ashraf.
Also, the majority of MPs from 31 European and Middle Eastern countries underlined the status of Ashraf residents under this same convention.
The Iraqi government, however, acting against resolutions and international calls and against the assurances that it issued regarding the respect of Ashraf residents’ rights, totally defied and openly refused to acknowledge this humanitarian status.
The insistence of Nouri al-Maliki’s government on the issue that Ashraf residents have no status is aimed at leaving Iraqi security entities under the command of a committee in the Iraqi Prime Ministry open-handed. These forces have during the past two years utilized all foul means of pressure and suppression against the defenseless residents of Ashraf.
Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist on his own behalf and also as President of God Believers Association (GBA), which undertakes the mission of Human Rights, hereby urge you as the UN Secretary General to use his good offices to have the Iraqi government acknowledge the rights of Ashraf residents as ‘protected persons’ under the 4th Geneva Convention.
Supporting Ashraf residents’ legal rights and averting a humanitarian catastrophe in Camp Ashraf is the indicator of a sovereignty of law and order that all in Iraq are looking for.
GBA earnestly feel that his good offices as UNSG and that of UNAMI would play a very important role in saving the innocent residents of Ashraf Camp from the gross abuse of human rights at the hands of the Iraqi Govt.