Three hundred and fifty five thousand Iraqi citizens, by signing a declaration on the initiative of the Iraqi National Tribal Council, addressed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and announced: “We, the Iraqi people, are extremely concerned about the events surrounding the situation of Camp Ashraf residents and the violation of their human rights as a result of a forcible relocation by the Iraqi Government. Any forcible relocation, mounting from a deadline to evacuate Ashraf is considered a forcible relocation and prohibited by international laws. Any attempt to enforce such relocation is tantamount to crime against humanity. Especially since it has been proven that the goal of such relocation is to inflict more suffering on Ashraf residents, and to transfer them to conditions that are reminiscent of a prison. The people of Iraq will not accept the dissidents of the Iranian regime, who hold a legal status in Iraq, be repressed under the name of Iraqi “sovereignty”.
“In circumstances where the Ashraf dossier has drawn widespread international attention, any pressure for relocation of Ashraf residents inside Iraq does not have a legal and logical justification. Such an act will only curry favor for the rulers in Iran. Unfortunately it has been associated with UN legitimacy.
“In light of the fact that the Iraqi Government’s bloody history in the past years shows it is not impartial in this case, the relocation of Ashraf residents to Liberty without respect of international human rights and humanitarian standards, and without written and binding assurances – that include the approval of Ashraf residents consistent with the statements of the UN Secretary General – lacks any legal legitimacy and is a breach of international laws.
“In this regard, we the people of Iraq hold the UN Secretary General and his special representative in Iraq responsible for adopting proper measures to observe the rights of Ashraf residents.”
The Iraqi National Tribal Council press statement also indicates that the signatories of this declaration include, 390 tribal sheikhs, 3058 lawyers and jurists, 397 academics and university professors, 4293 physicians and engineers, 43 mosque imams, 422 writers and journalists and 36 NGOs.