Working to Ensure Safety and Security of Our Loved Ones in Camp Ashraf

USCCAR Condemns Iraqi Forces' Attack on Camp Ashraf, Demands UN Protection and US Guarantee
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents

Friday, April 16, 2010

WASHINGTON – Around midnight Thursday, the Iraqi forces attacked residents of Camp Ashraf, home to 3,400 members of Iran's main opposition, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Threatening to occupy a number of buildings by force, they used electric batons, daggers and iron bars in beating up the residents, wounding five. They also tried to abduct a female resident but were thwarted when she resisted.

The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR) deplores this barbaric attack, clearly carried out at the behest of the Tehran regime and with the approval of the Iraqi Prime Minister.

The residents of Camp Ashraf were recognized as “Protected Persons” by the United States in 2004. Since the US transfer of Ashraf’s protection to the Iraqi government in 2009, the human rights of Ashraf residents have been systematically breached in violation of international law and Iraq’s written assurances to the United States.

Still dumbfounded by the strategic defeat during Iraq’s recent parliamentary elections, Tehran and its Iraqi surrogates have been bent on destroying Ashraf. USCCAR demands that the United Nations must assume the protection of Ashraf residents before another humanitarian tragedy occurs. The Committee also urges President Obama to guarantee the protection of Ashraf residents consistent with the US government's signed agreement to this effect with Ashraf residents in 2004... Read More

Bi-Partisan Majority in the US House Calls for Protection of Camp Ashraf Residents

House resolution calls upon President Obama to take all necessary and appropriate steps to support the commitments of the United States to ensure protection of Camp Ashraf residents

Statement by USCCAR

March  18, 2010

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, were joined yesterday by ten of their colleagues, including three from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a press conference to announce the support by a bi-partisan House majority for the humanitarian rights and protection of residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

In his remarks, Rep. Filner announced that following the last July deadly assault by the Iraqi security forces against unarmed residents of Camp Ashraf, home to 3,400 members of Iran’s main opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), he introduced a resolution (H.Res.704) which “deplores the ongoing violence by Iraqi security forces against the residents of Camp Ashraf; calls upon the Iraqi Government to live up to its commitment to the United States to ensure the continued well-being of those living in Camp Ashraf; and calls upon the President to take all necessary and appropriate steps to support the commitments of the United States” to ensure protection of Camp Ashraf residents.

The majority of the members of the House of Representatives who have co-sponsored the resolution include 11 Committee Chairs; 13 Committee Ranking Members; 54 Sub-Committee Chairs; 49 Sub-Committee Ranking Members; and 30 House Foreign Affairs Committee members.

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen stressed that in light of repeated breach of guaranties provided by the Iraqi Government to the United States that residents of Camp Ashraf would be treated humanely, “the U.S. is obligated to take all necessary and appropriate steps to uphold our commitments.” The Florida lawmaker added that “we must send a clear message to the residents of Camp Ashraf that the U.S. Congress stands with them.”... Read More

Hundreds of Ashraf Residents in Urgent Need of Medical Care; U.S., UNAMI Must Intervene to End Inhumane Siege of Ashraf
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
February 18, 2009
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seven months after the Iraqi forces' deadly and unprovoked assault on the defenseless residents of Camp Ashraf, members of Iran's main opposition People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the continued inhumane and unlawful siege of the camp has put the lives of hundreds of its residents in great peril.

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR), representing U.S. families and relatives of the residents, strongly condemns the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's inhumane crackdown on Ashraf residents which is clearly designed to placate the Iranian regime.

USCCAR calls on President Obama, Secretary Clinton, Ambassador Hill, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), to intervene to ensure the immediate end to the siege of Ashraf.

An almost blanket ban on medical care and supplies is now one of the most critical problems at Ashraf. Many residents are suffering from incurable diseases and a large number of those wounded during the July raid suffer permanent injuries.

Iraqi forces, acting on orders from Committee for the Closure of Ashraf in the Prime Minister's Office, have prevented specialist doctors from visiting Ashraf. As a result many cases have turned malignant and can no longer be cured. A number of patients are losing their vision and several women are suffering from cancer.

Compounding the medical crisis is the prevention of fuel delivery to Ashraf in recent months. Food supplies are only allowed following lengthy inspections, resulting in the food turning rotten.

In recent days, in collusion with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), al-Maliki's government has transported a number of MOIS agents under the guise of families of the residents to the gate of Ashraf to exert further pressure on them. Ashraf families, meanwhile, are barred from visiting the Camp.

Iraqi authorities have refused issuing visas to US and European lawyers of the residents. European parliamentarians, human rights and religious organizations and dignitaries are also barred. Moreover, the Iraqi government still intends to forcibly transfer the residents of Ashraf to an inhabitable detention center near the Saudi border.

The 3,400 residents of Ashraf are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention. These restrictions violate international law as well as International Humanitarian Law and constitute crimes against humanity... Read More
 

Families of Ashraf Residents Support Anti-government Uprisings in Iran, Denounce Brutal Crackdown
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
December 28, 2009
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents expresses its solidarity with the anti-government uprisings during Ashura across Iran. The Committee denounces the atrocities committed by the ruling religious fascism whose forces opened fire on unarmed protesters exercising their universal rights and ran them over with armored and security vehicles.

The U.S. families of residents of Ashraf pay their utmost respect to the martyrs of freedom killed by the security forces. Having lost many loved ones either by Iran's tyrannical rulers or their Iraqi agents in the past 28 years, Ashraf families express their deepest sympathies with the families of the fallen for the cause of freedom in Iran.

Chants of "Down with Khamenei," "Down with Dictator," and calls across Iran for the overthrow of ruling theocracy and establishment of democracy is at the heart of the aspirations of the Iranian Resistance and members of Iran's main opposition, the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) residing in Camp Ashraf.

Indeed, the dramatic rise in efforts by Tehran and its proxies in the Iraqi government to "uproot" the PMOI in Ashraf is the flip side of the regime's barbaric crackdown on the freedom uprisings at home.

As TIME magazine wrote following the Iraqi forces' deadly assault on 3,400 defenseless residents of Ashraf last July, "The sudden escalation with Ashraf may have more to do with a bruised Iranian regime's bid to stamp out its opponents both at home and abroad than with any pressing Iraqi national interest." Similarly in 2007, the French monthly Afrique Asie wrote that "the Iranian rulers are very concerned and alarmed" because of "peoples' support for Mojahedin-e-Khalq. Today, MEK is highly capable of attracting the young people born and raised after the revolution."

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents cautions the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that bowing to Tehran's demand to forcibly displace Ashraf residents as a prelude to turning them over to the Iranian rulers, in exchange for Tehran's support in the upcoming elections, is betting on a losing horse. As the recent protests in Iraq and Iran show, acting at the behest of the falling Iranian regime is deplored by both Iranians and Iraqis who seek democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law in their homelands... Full Story

USCCAR Urges President Obama to Intervene Immediately and Stop Iraq's Displacement of Ashraf Residents
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
December 10, 2009
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a move, which according to Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, "could lead to bloodshed," the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, announced plans for the "transfer of Camp Ashraf residents to Nuqrat al-Salman" south of Iraq as a "step towards expelling them (from Iraq)."

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR) strongly condemns this unlawful decision which blatantly violates international humanitarian law and runs counter to the Iraqi Government's written assurances to the United States about upholding the human rights of Ashraf residents.

USCCAR calls on President Obama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize earlier today in Oslo, to fulfill the administration's responsibilities in the framework of official agreements it has signed with the people of Ashraf and Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Committee urges the President to undertake immediate steps to avert another humanitarian catastrophe.... Full Story
 

USCCAR: Tehran's Plot Against Ashraf Residents Foiled: 36 Abducted Residents Return to Ashraf
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
October 7, 2009
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 36 Camp Ashraf residents, taken hostage by Iraqi security forces 71 days ago and subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment at the hands of their captors, triumphantly returned to Ashraf earlier today, thereby foiling a plot, designed by the Iranian regime and implemented by its Iraqi proxies, to destroy Ashraf and slaughter its residents.

The Iraqi Government, which attacked Ashraf on July 28 & 29 at the behest of Tehran, finally bowed to the unflinching resolve of the 36 hostages, hundreds of Ashraf residents, their supporters and families - on hunger strike outside the White House, in Ottawa and in several European capitals - and to the universal condemnation of the deadly and unprovoked assault on Camp Ashraf, home to 3,400 members of the main Iranian opposition group, the PMOI/MEK.

Following this major victory and upon the appeal by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, those in Ashraf and around the world have decided to end their hunger strike and pursue other peaceful means at their disposal until clear, effective and practical guarantees concerning the protection of the residents of Ashraf and their non-displacement within the territory of Iraq as mandated by International Humanitarian Law are put in place. The 10-month siege of Ashraf by Iraqi forces must also end and families, lawyers and friends of Ashraf residents must be allowed to visit the Camp. If these justified demands are not met, the hunger strikers vowed to resume their fast.

The deadly July attack has made it abundantly clear that the Iraqi Government's assurances to treat the residents of Ashraf humanely and consistent with international and Iraqi laws were hallow. Therefore, a permanent UN representation must be established at Ashraf to ensure their well-being.

The 36 had been ordered released three times by Judge Ghadhanfar Jassim Mohammad. Iraq's Chief Prosecutor had also issued a blanket order to release them. The Interior Ministry, acting on dictates from Tehran, however, mocked that country's judiciary and refused to let them return to Ashraf.

Following the attack which left 11 dead, nearly 500 wounded, and 36 abducted, Iranians in and out of Iran, members of the U.S. Congress, hundreds of parliamentarians in Iraq, Europe, Canada and the Middle East, human rights advocates and organizations, such as Amnesty International, and distinguished religious leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, unequivocally condemned the actions of the Iraqi Government and demanded that the United States and the United Nations guarantee the safety and security of "protected persons" of Ashraf.

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents extends its sincere gratitude to all those who joined this valiant campaign and calls on the U.S. and the UN to initiate a thorough investigation into the July raid on Ashraf and the subsequent illegal detention of 36 residents, so that those responsible for this humanitarian tragedy are held to account... Full Story
 

USCCAR Deplores Iraq's Plan for Forcible Deportation of 36 Iranian Dissidents, Demands Immediate US Intervention
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
October 5, 2009
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents deplores the decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to forcibly deport the 36 residents of Camp Ashraf abducted during the deadly attack on the Camp by Iraqi forces in July.

USCCAR also calls on the Obama administration to live up to its legal and moral obligations to the People of Ashraf, and to intervene to secure the immediate release of the 36 hostages.

The administration's continued silence toward the inhuman and unlawful treatment of these individuals has emboldened Mr. al-Maliki to pursue their expulsion in blatant violation of international law, Iraq's own laws and constitution, and written assurances given to the United States.

On Sunday, the Associated Press reported that an official in al-Maliki's office said "Iraq is looking for a country to accept 36 detained members of an Iranian opposition group [PMOI/MEK]." Those men remain in detention despite three judicial decrees that they be released.

Mr. al-Maliki is preparing the ground for transferring the 36 to Iran or to a Tehran-friendly country which ultimately would send them to Iran. Either would be in flagrant breach of customary and conventional international law, and the standards of international humanitarian law. If any transfer outside Iraq is indeed contemplated, it must be to an EU country or to the United States, where these hostages have family members.

In an ominous development today, the 36 were transferred to a special prison near Al-Muthana Airport which is mainly operated by al-Maliki's office and notorious for arbitrary and harsh treatment of people held there.

In March 2007, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees also warned competent Iraqi authorities and the Multi-National Force-Iraq "to refrain from any action that could endanger the life or the security of these individuals, such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement inside Iraq."

In a letter dated October 15, 2008, to Iraq's Minister for Foreign Affairs, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged that Government to protect Ashraf residents from forcible deportation, expulsion, or repatriation in violation of the non-refoulement principle, and to refrain from any action that would endanger their life or security.

Mr. al-Maliki is responsible for any harm done to the 36 hostages, many of whom are on the brink of death after 69 days of hunger strike and severe beatings in the hands of security forces.

The United States is also responsible for safety and human rights of these individuals. According to Article 45 of Fourth Geneva Convention this responsibly remains in effect even while Ashraf residents are in the custody of the Government of Iraq, to whom they were transferred in exchange for specific assurances given to the United States. The appalling silence and inaction of the Obama administration, which has superficially lamented about the "avoidable tragedy" in Ashraf, could prove deadly for the 36 abductees... Full Story
 

USCCAR Condemns Forcible Displacement of 36 Ashraf Residents, Urges President Obama to Secure Their Release
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
October 2, 2009
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents urges President Obama to intervene immediately to save the lives and to regain the freedom of the 36 residents of Ashraf abducted in late July during a deadly attack on the Camp by Iraqi forces.

It is past time for the United States to uphold the pledges it has made to residents of Camp Ashraf and hold the Iraqi government accountable for breach of its commitments to treat Ashraf residents humanely.

On Thursday, October 1, 2009, in defiance of three court rulings and a definitive opinion from the Chief Prosecutor, Iraqi forces raided the prison in Al-Khalis to take the 36 Iranians - on hunger strike for 65 days - to an unknown location in Baghdad. There is hardly any doubt that the September 14 remarks by a U.S. embassy spokesman in Baghdad that Iraq had the right to relocate the residents of Ashraf served as a green light for this move, which is a blatant violation of international law, and a mockery of Iraq's judiciary. It confirms that the Al-Maliki's government prefers doing Tehran's bidding to honoring its obligations to the laws and judiciary of Iraq itself.

The transfer puts the lives of the 36 in serious jeopardy. They are already in poor health after a hunger strike of 66 days, and they will be at greater risk now that they are refusing to take liquids. The Iraqi Government may be planning to repatriate them to Iran, in further violation of international norms.

USCCAR deplores the fact that neither the White House nor the Department of State has taken any position regarding these blatant breaches of international humanitarian law, the law of human rights, and Iraq's written assurances to the United States.

In 2004, U.S. forces signed an agreement with everyone in Ashraf including the 36 abductees, recognizing them as "protected persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The agreement states that, until "viable disposition options" become available and final decisions are made, each person shall remain under U.S. protection.

The Obama administration should take action and fulfill these promises. Under international law, the hand-over of "sovereignty" to the Iraqi Government did not end the responsibility of the United States for the protection of Ashraf residents. Article 45 of the Fourth Convention provides that if the transferee state fails to honor its obligations, the transferring party -- here the United States -- must "take effective measures to correct the situation, or shall request the return of the protected persons."

The State Department's milquetoast assurances that the Iraqis will do the right thing have done little to allay the profound concerns of families of Ashraf residents, on hunger strike outside the White House for the past 66 days.

Iraq must honor its solemn and enforceable commitments to the U.S. that Ashraf residents would be treated humanely and release the 36 hostages... Full Story
 

Lawyers, Human Rights Experts Urge President Obama to Save the 36 Abducted Residents of Ashraf
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
September 28, 2009
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a press conference today, international law and human rights experts urged President Obama to intervene immediately to save the lives of 36 Ashraf residents taken hostage by the Iraqi forces and end the humanitarian crisis in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

The panelists expressed outrage that despite the third ruling by an Iraqi Court to have the 36 individuals released, the Iraqi government has refused to abide by the verdict of its own judiciary.

Steven Schneebaum, U.S. Counsel for the families of Camp Ashraf, said in his remarks, "Principles of humanitarian and human rights law make it clear that no state is allowed to hold individuals without charge when the person has not committed a crime. Under international law it is obligatory that they be released. The Iraqi Government is clearly violating international law and President Obama must make it clear to the Iraqis that they should obey the same set of legal principles that every other civilized country across globe is required to obey."

Bruce McColm, President of Institute for Democratic Strategies and former Executive Director of Freedom House, added, "The fact that the Iraqi government has refused to implement the judgment of its own judiciary demonstrates that it is doing Tehran's bidding. Let there be no doubt that the responsibility for the safety and well being of these hostages and those on hunger strike around the world rests squarely with the Iraqi Prime Minister."

Hamid Goudarzi, a senior engineering researcher from San Antonio, Texas, on a hunger strike for 62 days outside the White House, emphasized, "The State Department claims Iraq was exercising its sovereignty when it attacked Camp Ashraf. What kind of sovereignty is this? The court has ruled three times to release the 36 hostages, but the Prime Minister has intervened to prevent that. I have been sitting in front of the White House for past 62 days and the administration has done nothing. We will stand here as long as it takes."

The 36 hostages were abducted during the July 28-29 deadly assault on Camp Ashraf by 2,200 Iraqi security forces, in which 11 residents were killed and nearly 500 were wounded. Ashraf is home to 3,400 members of Iran's main opposition the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI/MEK) and their families... Full Story

Senior House Members Press U.S. Envoy over Protection of Camp Ashraf, Demand Release of 36 Iranian Dissidents
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
September 12, 2009
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At a hearing on September 10, senior members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, voiced outrage over a July attack by Iraqi forces against Camp Ashraf, where 3,400 Iranian refugees reside. Christopher Hill, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq was testifying.

Committee Chair Howard Berman (D-CA) had already expressed deep concerns over the assault in a July 29 joint statement with the Committee Ranking Republican, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

Congresswomen Ros-Lehtinen told Ambassador Hill: "I'm concerned about Iraqi actions being undertaken at the behest of the Iranian regime with respect to Ashraf." She then asked about specific measures to ensure rights of Ashraf residents and to prevent their forcible return to Iran.

Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) pointed out that the 36 abducted residents of Ashraf are still in captivity "even though an Iraqi judge has ordered these individuals to be released."

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) referred to the 1,000 women in Ashraf and said that there is no excuse for attacking the residents... Read More
 

House Committee Chairman Meets Hunger Strikers outside the White House, Voices Solidarity
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
September 9, 2009
Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, visited the Iranian-Americans on hunger strike outside the White House since July 28, voicing solidarity with their cause.

Washington, DC, Sep 9, 2009 -- On day 42nd of an open-ended hunger strike outside the White House, Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, visited the Iranian-Americans on hunger strike, voicing solidarity with their cause. The hunger strike seeks the U.S. intervention for protection of 3,400 defenseless Iranian exiles in Camp Ashraf, Iraq.

In his brief remarks, Representative Filner, the Co-chair of the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus in the House of Representatives, said that the issue of the protection of Camp Ashraf was of paramount importance to him. He told the hunger strikers that he had been in direct contact with the White House and the U.S. Department of State to ensure that those in Ashraf are protected.

Congressman Filner added that he will do everything to secure the early and safe release of 36 Ashraf residents taken hostage by the Iraqi regime.

Since July 28, when the Iraqi forces launched an unprovoked attack on Camp Ashraf, the families and supporters of Ashraf residents have been on a hunger strike in protest against the continuing siege of the camp and the U.S. inaction to prevent another attack on the camp. The attack has left 11 killed, 500 wounded and 36 abducted by the Iraqi forces. Many of the hunger strikers are in serious condition and some have already been to hospital.

Camp Ashraf is home to members of the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Its residents had signed an agreement with the Multi-National Force-Iraq in 2004, whereby they were granted "Protected Persons" status under Geneva Convention. Previously in May 2003, Ashraf residents voluntarily handed over their weapons and in exchange the U.S. committed itself to protect them until their final disposition.

In an open letter to President Barack Obama published last month, the US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents said “As the U.S. pursues an honorable military disengagement from Iraq, we hope that the rights of the people of Camp Ashraf and the pledges made to them by America are not sacrificed for the sake of expedience.”
 

USCCAR Deplores Statement by State Department’s Spokeswoman Condoning the Deadly Attack on Camp Ashraf
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 26, 2009
Washington, DC - The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents deplores the statement made by the State Department Spokeswoman Laura Tischler condoning the deadly and unprovoked attacks on July 28 and 29 by Iraqi security forces on the unarmed and defenseless residents of Camp Ashraf.

According to an August 24 report on Fox News Channel, Ms. Tischler described the attack, which has so far resulted in death of 11 Iranian dissidents and injury to nearly 500 others, several in critical condition, as “a responsible act of sovereignty and in keeping with its obligations to provide security at Ashraf.” This is despite the fact that on August 12, Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Phillip J. Crowley had described the Iraqi attack as “an avoidable tragedy” and a day later he called it “regrettable.”

The statement flies in the face of vivid images of the mayhem and bloodshed in Camp Ashraf caused by Iraqi police and army at the behest of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. These images clearly show that the attack aimed to inflict maximum casualties on the residents and destroy the Camp.

The Committee is also very alarmed that Ms. Tischler's statement will be taken as a green light by agents of the Iranian regime to perpetrate further attacks on Ashraf residents.

Ms. Tischler also claimed that “The MEK leadership ignored attempts to arrange a peaceful outcome and instead staged violent demonstrations to oppose Iraqi Security Forces.” To suggest that the leadership at Ashraf staged violent demonstrations is a thinly-veiled attempt to justify the US forces' timid response to a manifest crime against humanity perpetrated by the Iraqi forces, for which the State Department - by preventing the US forces at Ashraf to intervene to stop the carnage - also bears responsibility.

By leveling such unfounded charges against Camp Ashraf residents, the State Department cannot duck it binding obligations emanating from the agreement the US signed with each and every resident of Ashraf in 2004, Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and International Customary Law.

Instead of attempting to whitewash the despicable inhumane attack on Ashraf, which was forewarned by members of US Congress and human rights organizations - and swiftly downplayed by the State Department, Washington is called upon to make public any documents and films US forces have in their possession to make the fact clear for all to see.
 

Call on U.S. to Ensure Prompt Release of 36 Ashraf Residents Following Judge's Verdict
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 25, 2009
Washington, DC - According to Aswat al-Iraq news agency and Al-Sabah Al-Jadid daily, on August 24, 2009, a judge in the Iraqi city of Al-Khalis ordered the release of the 36 abducted residents of Camp Ashraf. The Prosecutor agreed with the verdict because the judge found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Security forces were ordered by the Judge to release the detained Ashraf residents, members of the main Iranian opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI).

Police authorities, however, claimed that "their release must be approved by higher authorities" and refused to carry out the orders of the judge. Apparently, the Iranian regime's embassy in Baghdad and the masterminds of the unprovoked raid on Ashraf are obstructing the implementation of the judge's order.

Reports indicate that the Iraqi Prime Minister's office has ordered the transfer of this case to Baaquba district under the bogus pretext of appealing the judge's ruler.

This latest act clearly reaffirms that detention of the 36 Ashraf residents, on their 29th day of a hunger strike, was an act of "Abduction," a crime against humanity according to the Fourth Geneva Convention and prosecutable in international tribunals.

It also shows that their detention lacked any legal basis and was carried out solely at the behest of the Iranian regime. According to a report in today's Washington Post, quoting an Iraqi intelligence source, "the [Iraq's] prime minister uses an Iranian jet with an Iranian crew for his official travel."

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents urgently calls on the US government as the legal protector of the "Protected Persons" of Camp Ashraf under the Fourth Geneva Convention, to act swiftly to save the lives of the 36 abductees by ensuring their prompt release in accordance with the explicit ruling of the judge in Al-Khalis.

The Committee demands that the US Embassy and the US forces' Command in Baghdad to honor their binding obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention and in accordance with the agreement that every single resident of Camp Ashraf, including the 36, have signed with the U.S.

According to Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the January 2009 transfer of security to Iraqi government does not relieve the United States from its obligations for ensuring safety of "Protected Persons" of Camp Ashraf.
 

Imminent Attack Likely on Camp Ashraf; U.S. Must be Prepared to Prevent another Bloodbath
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 20, 2009
Washington, DC - Information received from within the Iranian regime suggests the imminent likelihood of another attack on Camp Ashraf by Iraqi troops.

According to this information, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is poised to provoke Prime Minister Al-Maliki to launch another bloody assault on Ashraf. The plan calls for the following:

1. Iraqi police forces are to capture and control Ashraf's main gate at the western entrance to the Camp. Presently, Iraqi forces have set up dirt barriers to block that gate.
2. In the next phase, the building close to the main gate (where PMOI representatives meet Iraqi officers, U.S. embassy officials, and international organizations) are to be taken over. All of these facilities have been built by the residents of Ashraf.
3. The assault is to be undertaken using the same equipment and modus operandi employed on July 28 and 29 to injure and harass residents.
4. The following step would be the arrest of 55 people, who constitute the leadership of the PMOI at Ashraf on the pretext of inspecting every building in Ashraf and raising Iraqi flags on each one of them. A list of their names has been given by the Iranian regime to Iraq's Fifth Corp and the police.
5. A number of operatives of Iran’s terrorist Qods Force, the Badr Brigade, and agents of the Iranian regime's embassy in Baghdad will take part in the assault.
6. The timing of the attack is not yet clear; the conditions on the ground will dictate when it will occur.

On April 18, 19 and 20, all buildings, living quarters, gardens, farms, and facilities in Ashraf were thoroughly searched by the Iraqi Army using all available detection equipment, including bomb-sniffing dogs.

According to a document signed by the commander of the search unit, no weapons or explosives were found anywhere. Therefore, there is no need for the use of armed force at Ashraf: the people there are unarmed and defenseless.

The U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents demands the U.S. forces in the area be promptly placed on alert and ready to deploy to the scene on very short notice if violence is threatened. This is the only way to prevent another bloodbath at Camp Ashraf... Full Story
 

Tehran Hails Iraqi Move to Try 36 Abductees of Camp Ashraf, Demands Extradition
U.S. Must Immediately Act to Ensure Release of Abductees
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 18, 2009
According to reports by Iran’s media, affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) as well the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), 36 residents of Camp Ashraf would be tried in an Iraqi court in the coming days.

The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents would strongly condemn such a reprehensible act which is a blatant violation of rights of these individuals who are legally “Protected Persons” under the Fourth Geneva Convention and as such their detention is tantamount to kidnapping. Moreover, any trial of these abductees would amount to another manifestation of Nouri al-Maliki’s crimes against humanity who obeyed Iran’s Ali Khamenei and ordered the killing and abductions in Camp Ashraf.

Many of these 36 “Protected Persons” were abducted at the entrance of Camp Ashraf right before the Iraqi forces’ attack so that, according to Qods Force-designed ploy, they would be ultimately turned over to Tehran’s IRGC and in the meantime would be used to blackmail the PMOI in Camp Ashraf .

Amnesty International in its August13 statement said: “The detainees… have been denied access to lawyers of their choice and have launched a hunger strike in protest against their detention and ill-treatment… Amnesty International is concerned that the 36 Camp Ashraf residents are at risk of being forcibly returned to Iran where they could face torture and execution.”

Yesterday, the MOIS-affiliated Press TV reported that Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has “hailed” the reported Iraqi move to try 36 abductees of Camp Ashraf “as a step forward in relations between the two neighboring countries.” Mottaki also asked Iraqi ambassador to Iran, Majid Sheikh, to extradite members of the PMOI.

The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents demands the United States to resume protection of defenseless residents of Ashraf in accordance with its responsibilities under Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The responsibility of preventing any further bloodshed by Iraqi mercenary forces in Camp Ashraf squarely lies with the United States whose responsibilities for ensuring the protection of Ashraf does not legally end with transfer of security to Iraqis. The American forces signed an agreement with every single resident of Ashraf and guaranteed their protection until their final disposition in exchange for hand over of their weapons.
 

32 Lawmakers Write to Secretary Clinton for Action on Camp Ashraf ;
Letter Describes Measures taken so far “Inadequate”
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 5, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – Thirty two members of the US House of Representatives, including 8 members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in an August 5 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the last week attack on Camp Ashraf described the measures so far taken by the United States for the “well-being of the three or four thousand persons” living there “inadequate.”

The bi-partisan group, which includes Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Ranking member of the subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organization and Oversight, Congressman James McGovern, chairman of Tom Lantos Human Rights Caucus and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus asked Secretary Clinton that to “instruct Ambassador Christopher Hill to not only engage the Iraqi government as soon as possible on arrangements for the security and well-being of these persons, but also to ensure Iraq’s plans comport with international law and with the assurances Iraq gave the U.S. regarding Ashraf residents. We must demonstrate to all countries in the region our continuing concern.”

Stressing that “Members of Congress have previously expressed, both to your predecessor and to you, our grave concern for the future well-being of the three or four thousand persons now living in Camp Ashraf in Iraq,” the legislators said that these refugees are from Iran, “identified as members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), and, thus, they have every reason to fear persecution, if not execution, if involuntarily repatriated.”

Noting that “In 2004, the United States officially recognized the inhabitants of Camp Ashraf as “protected persons” under the Fourth Geneva Convention; and “coalition troops, in fact, guarded the camp until the United Nations mandate for the Multi-National Forces expired on December 31, 2008 ,” the lawmakers reminded Secretary Clinton that “On June 30 of this year, in response to Congressional concern for their safety and well-being, Richard R. Verma, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, wrote that the Government of Iraq “has given the United States assurances that it will treat the residents of Ashraf humanely and will not transfer them to any country where there are substantial grounds for believing they would be persecuted.”

Recalling that on July 28, 2009 Ian Kelly, a spokesman for the Department of State, had given assurances that DOS will monitor the situation to assure that residents “are treated in accordance with Iraq’s written assurances that it will treat the residents humanely,” the 32 House Representatives said “Madam Secretary, this response is clearly inadequate.”

“A community of protected persons has been set upon by security forces of the state to which we relinquished their protection. We believe there is cause to fear the forced expulsion of the Ashraf residents by Iraqi forces,” they added.
 

Iraqi forces prevent food Supplies Delivered to Camp Ashraf

AI Inquires Iraqi Government about 36 Detained Camp Ashraf Residents

Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
August 5, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - According to reports from Camp Ashraf in Iraq, the Iraqi forces have prevented food stuff, purchased by Camp Ashraf residents from Iraqi suppliers, to be delivered to Camp Ashraf for more than ten days now. Suppliers of essential commodities to Ashraf have been threatened not to go to Ashraf otherwise they would be arrested or killed.

The ongoing siege and barbaric assault on Camp Ashraf by Iraqi forces as more than 500 Ashraf residents are suffering from injuries, and blocking delivery of food stuff, is yet another manifestation of crimes against humanity.

The obvious goal of the Iraqi forces is to increase all sorts of pressures on Ashraf residents by starving and exhausting them, assuming this would leave them no option but to bend and surrender to demands of the Iranian regime and its Iraqi proxies.

The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents holds the American forces and the International Committee of the Red Cross responsible for prevention of starvation of Ashraf resident. It also holds the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, personally responsible for any threats to the residents’ lives.

The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents calls for immediate intervention of the United Nations Secretary General and the Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and all international human rights organizations in this respect.

Also yesterday, Amnesty International issued a statement expressing “concerns for detained Camp Ashraf residents.” AI statement said “Amnesty International is urgently seeking information about 36 Iranian residents of Camp Ashraf who have been detained since Iraqi security forces seized control of the camp on 28 July 2009 and have been moved to an unknown location in Baghdad amid allegations that some or all of them have been beaten and tortured.”

Congressional Support for Ashraf Residents; Iraq’s Attack on Camp Condemned
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
July 31, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC - Members of US Congress are increasingly denouncing the brutal attack against Camp Ashraf residents in Iraq by the Iraqi forces of Nuri al-Maliki government. They have called for urgent action by the Untied States and international humanitarian organizations to stop the ongoing suppression of Ashraf residents.

On Tuesday July 28, the day of attack on Camp Ashraf, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) issued a joint statement. The leaders of the House committee state that “The Government of Iraq signed an agreement with the United States guaranteeing the physical security and protection of Ashraf residents following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area. The Iraqi government must live up to its commitment to ensure the continued well-being of those living in Ashraf and prevent their involuntary return to Iran.”

On Wednesday July 29, 2009, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee issued a statement in response to July 28 attack on Camp Ashraf saying "I am greatly troubled by the reports coming out of Camp Ashraf that Iraqi troops carried out a violent raid, using rocks, batons, pepper spray and fire houses to injure hundreds.” California Congressman added that “Having written to Prime Minister Maliki in February asking that he protect the residents of Camp Ashraf, I deeply regret that he has failed to live up to his commitment to protect these people."

Congresswoman Jackson Lee (D-TX), Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, also issued a statement saying “The brutal assault transpired in the face of assurances to the United States by the Iraqi government that it will not infringe upon the rights of Ashraf residents.” Texas Representative said “I stand in solidarity with the people of Iran who are detained at Camp Ashraf. We can not stand for, and we will not tolerate the ongoing human rights violations of the PMOI. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the detainees who can only watch from a distance as their loved ones are victimized at Camp Ashraf.

Also on Wednesday, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) spoke at the floor to “condemn the brutal attack on the residents of Camp Ashraf” saying that “The Iranian dictatorship’s fingerprints are all over this attack.” Florida lawmaker reminded that “when United States forces withdrew from the Camp Ashraf region, the United States and Iraq signed an agreement that the Iraqi government would guarantee their safety. The Iraqi government is not keeping its promise and it is not upholding its obligations under international law.” Congressman Diaz-Balart called on “President Obama to demand that the Iraqi government immediately put an end to this attack” because “We must ensure the protection that the exiles were promised by the United States.”
 

Nuri Al-Maliki Lets Two TV Networks of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry into Camp Ashraf, Bars Independent Media to Cover Up Crimes Against Humanity
Statement by the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents
July 30, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC - According to reports from Camp Ashraf in Iraq, today Iraqi troops of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki brought two Iranian TV networks, Arabic Al-Alam and English Press TV, affiliated with Ali Khamenei’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and terrorist Qods Force.

This collaborative ploy by al-Maliki government and Tehran is undertaken at the time the Iraqi forces have prevented a number of independent journalists, including those from AFP, CNN, and al-Arabiya TV, who had come to the gates of Ashraf, were barred from entering and sent back.

Reporters Without Borders today issued a statement in which it “condemned the Iraqi government’s decision to bar journalists from entering Ashraf,” and stressed that Iraqi forces “prevent the entry of journalists to Ashraf” after their July 28 attack against the camp.

This move aims to counter the outrage of Iraqi people and the world public opinion over al-Maliki government in light of the horrific reports and images of his troops’ ongoing crimes against humanity in Camp Ashraf.

The two TV stations are notorious among journalists both in Iraq and European countries for doing the clerical regime’s bidding under the guise of journalism. They are viewed as the regime’s spies. Many of the staff working in both networks is plainclothes agents and forces affiliated with the office of the mullahs’ Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in Iran.