Breach of Pledges Cannot be Accepted

Breach of Pledges Cannot be Accepted

The developments in Camp Ashraf have once again become a point of concern for the Iranian community across the world. There are more than 3000 Iranian dissidents living in the camp, and the sheer fact is that their lives and well being are endangered. The Iranians in the camp have the serious crime of promoting democracy and freedom of religion in their country Iran, and this of course is not something to be tolerated by the Iranian regime.

The Iranians living in the camp have indeed reason to be concerned, as they have already been twice attacked and many of them killed by the Iraqi army in 2009 and then again a few months ago in 2011. Both attacks were undertaken following the direct requests made by Tehran.

So Ashraf residents had enough reason not to trust the Iraqi government due to the bad experience they have endured and the many lives that were lost following the attacks undertaken by the Iraqi army. Yet, despite the astonishment of many Iranians, they all decided to put their confidence and trust in the UN following the efforts made by Mrs Rajavi in this regard, in order to help advance international peaceful plans.

Moreover, as a gesture of good will, 400 residents of the camp even became ready to be relocated before the end of the year 2011 from the homes they had built and lived in for more than 20 years. The matter was announced on December 28, when Mrs Rajavi issued a statement that 400 Ashraf residents were ready to relocate with their own vehicles and moveable belongings to a former US camp near Baghdad, "Camp Liberty". The Iranian dissidents were then to be interviewed by the UNHCR on their refugee status in order to be able to resettle in third countries.

Yet every day that is passed becomes marked by more and more breaching of accords made by the Iraqi government. It has now become clear that the area allocated to Ashraf residents is less than one square km of the 40 sq km area of Camp Liberty that the US left to the Iraqis. Some 150 Iraqi policemen would be permanently present inside the camp. The area is comprised of a collection of dilapidated trailers. Following the departure of the U.S. forces most of the equipment, facilities and amenities have been looted. Electricity, water and sewage systems are dysfunctional and the Camp's only dining hall is a long distance away from the trailers. The ill, physically impaired, and the elderly cannot use it. Even more, the residents have been told that they cannot take with them their movable personal belongings. Newly installed concrete walls, three to four meters tall, will encircle the area in the attempt to make the camp a prison.

All these are in absolute breach of the agreements made by the UN representative, and as the Iranian Resistance leader stressed in an international conference in Paris on January 20th, it is expected from UN note to keep silent before Iraq’s breaching its commitments. The UNHCR must prevent another massacre and help resettle the residents to third countries through their collective refugee status determination.

It is utterly unacceptable is to allow the Iranian dissidents in Camp Ashraf be relocated to Camp Liberty while the camp is being turned into a prison. It is today, the UN Security Council that must immediately intervene to stop the breaches and ensure that another massacre is not to follow.

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