The people in the camp are intellectual and courageous Iranians who have decided to risk their lives in order to free their country.

By Kambiz Assai

OfficialWire, London, 11 Nov 2011 – Facts sometimes revolve to be so terrifying that one might prefer to let them go and pass away without necessarily believing them. One such case is happening today in Iraq. Some 3400 women and men who are crying out for freedom and democracy from behind barriers in a camp called Ashraf, are under the threat of being massacred in less than 2 months.  This time, there are warnings in advance of another case of genocide like Rwanda or Srebrenica
The people in the camp are intellectual and courageous Iranians who have decided to risk their lives in order to free their country. But they have been shackled and threatened to be massacred. Below are some facts about the situation of this camp:
– No medicine is allowed to enter the camp.
 – Fuel needed to run generators for electricity is not allowed to enter the camp.
– Journalists and reporters are banned and no reports are allowed to be made about the situation.
– The inhabitants’ lawyers are not allowed to come and speak with the persons in the camp.
– No family members are allowed to enter the camp and visit their relatives.
– Many members of the European parliament and the US congress, who travelled to Iraq and requested to visit the camp were denied permission.
The people held in the camp are instead been granted the followings:
– More than 300 loudspeakers shout smear and threatening remarks 24 hours a day, thus not allowing the people in the camp to even sleep.
– The loudspeakers threaten the inhabitants to be killed, or put on fire etc.
– Some family members who dared to come and see their children and relatives in the camp were later arrested, tortured and even executed on their return to Iran.
– The Iraqi forces have to date twice attacked the unarmed civilians in the camp, killing 47 and wounding more than 400 persons. Many were filmed as they were run over by military vehicles.
– The last Iraqi attack was on April 8th this year.
The unarmed inhabitants who have been murdered or run over by military vehicles are not receiving help because Iraq states that the persons in the camp are in the FTO list of the U.S. Secretary of States.
The fact however, is that the United States, as the responsible party who disarmed the residents has legal and moral duty to fulfill its obligation to protect the camp. European Union and United Nations also have been informed about the ongoing situation in Camp Ashraf and have been urged to take practical measures to control the situation.
No action has to date taken place.
To save the lives of the men, women and children in the camp, the United Nations must send in peace observers to the camp to prevent another oncoming massacre. To protect the observers, a small team of blue helmets should be sufficient.  The United States should see to it and facilitate for this to happen.
Today, the lives of 3400 residents of Camp Ashraf, depends on a swift and firm reaction by the United States, United Nations and international community.  We can’t offer to allow the fundamentalists have their way and bring about another act of genocide.