NCRI, 13 December 2009 –
24 members of the Iraqi Parliament from various political blocks have condemned pressures exerted on Ashraf residents by the Iraqi government. In a statement, the MPs noted that Ashraf residents are considered “protected persons” in accordance with international conventions and thus any form of persecution against them, including involuntary relocation, would be deemed a war crime.
Below is the text of the statement by the Iraqi lawmakers:
Warning about the forcible displacement of Camp Ashraf residents
Residents are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention
As the national elections draw closer and while Iraq is the midst of profound security challenges, it is most unfortunate that instead of focusing on uprooting foreign meddling and particularly interferences by the Iranian regime which lead to great catastrophes against innocent civilians, the government has announced measures to reward the Iranian regime. It has sadly succumbed to the Iranian regime’s demands to relocate the residents of Ashraf.
We emphasize that Camp Ashraf residents, who have been subjected to a cruel siege and other restrictions, pose no threats to Iraq. Since they were brutally attacked once in July, some of whom were killed as a result, we vehemently warn about this dangerous and inhumane plan, which if implemented would lead to extensive killings of innocent people, and consider it against the Iraqi people’s national interests and in line with sectarian designs on the verge of the upcoming elections.
Camp Ashraf residents are considered “protected persons” under international conventions and any form of persecution against them, including involuntary relocation, would be an instance of war crimes, which would taint Iraq’s regional and international credibility more than ever before while only serving anti-Iraq schemes.
