On Sunday 15 July after nearly two and a half months of deliberations, the Iraqi government
finally moved part of the personal belongings of the fifth convoy of Camp Ashraf residents that
was left behind since 6 May 2012. However 2 containers of the belongings of the 4th and 5th
group that were confiscated have not been returned. Also lacking was transfer of special trailers
for the disabled now at Camp Liberty. Iraq’s insistence in taking the vehicles to a location
outside of Ashraf for inspection without the presence of UN monitors and representatives of
Ashraf smacks of a conspiracy. Iraq’s continuous breaches of agreements show that it cannot
and should not be trusted with such absurd plans.
Out of the 10 specific demands of the residents that was agreed with the Special Representative
of the UN Secretary General, Mr Kobler and representatives of the residents of Ashraf in Paris
in the presence of US and EU officials on 1 July 2012 only two were implemented yesterday
leaving another 8 to be accomplished. These requirements are all of minimum humanitarian
standards for the extreme heat conditions of Iraq (50 degree Celsius). Problems with serious
shortages of water and electricity are not resolved. Transferring forklifts that are essential tools
for unloading hefty logistical cargo, special vehicles for the disabled, equipment and material
for making paved passages for the disabled, opportunity to provide some shade in the summer
heat by making canopies and planting trees and the matter of facilitating the selling of the
residents’ belongings and immovable property are all essential parts of the demands that have
been made by Ashraf residents that must be implemented before any request for transferring
other residents is made.
The IPCDA calls on the UN and the US to press Iraq for implementation of all the points of the
agreement before asking any other resident to move to Liberty. Current inhumane conditions in
Liberty will become much more intolerable if the number of residents is increased. Any attempt
to move the residents against their will amounts to forcible relocation that is forbidden under
international law and no UN or US agency should ever preside over or collaborate with such a
scheme.

International Parliamentary Campaign in Defence of Ashraf
16 July 2012