| |
|
|
 |
|
Parliamentarians, jurists question political motives behind HRW report on Iran |
|
|
|
|
Friday, 24 June 2005 |
 The recent report by New York-based Human Rights Watch against
the main Iranian opposition group continues to draw expressions of
dismay and astonishment from political and legal personalities, human
rights activists, and Iranian exiles across the world. The following
are excerpts of some of the letters sent to HRW and copied to the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran:
Paulo Casaca, Member of European Parliament and President of EP delegation to North Atlantic Parliamentary Assembly
I spent several days at Camp Ashraf and had long discussions with
hundreds of members of the PMOI on the base. I was astonished when I
read the recent report by HRW alleging that the PMOI violates the human
rights of its members in Iraq.
I have been a member of Amnesty International for a very long time and
have always had a keen interest in human rights research and
investigation. With such a background, I found your report on the PMOI
untenable in its methodology, unsubstantiated in its content, and
suspect in its political goal.
It strikes me as a complete departure from the widely-recognized modus
operandi of human rights investigators that HRW chose not to provide
any opportunity for the PMOI to reply to the allegations against it.
The failure to contact and seek the replies of the accused party can
only be attributed to the biased position of the authors of the report.
In the European Parliament, many members have been bombarded by a
string of allegations against the Iranian resistance groups,
particularly the PMOI, in a manner that clearly points to an
orchestrated smear campaign.
Regarding my particular case, as I have been extensively briefed by
Iranian diplomats, sending me films, books and articles, I was aware of
these allegations that you have now published a long time ago.
Ostensibly, as I did not accept to believe their arguments, and I
stopped having official phone-calls or demands for meetings, pretended
dissidents of the PMOI started a harassment campaign against me and
other colleagues, writing slanderous letters or sending threatening
material directly to me.
In fact, I had to ask for protection from the security services of the
European Parliament against these people that obviously acted as a sort
of aggressive weapon of the Iranian regime foreign policy.
This very well financed campaign - sending thousands of letters, using
expensing colored booklets and keeping site information where slander
on PMOI exists side by side with official texts of the Iranian regime -
had as one of the most impressive instruments a group using the name of
"Iran Peyvand [Peywand in some writings] Association" animated by a
certain "Mohammad Hussein Sobhani".
Therefore, I was particularly surprised to see a "human rights" report
quoting this very same person as the first in a list of eight PMOI
dissidents, with the same stories and arguments as being - not just a
repetition of well known slander - but a prima facie evidence of
wrongdoings of the PMOI.
Professor Steven Schneebaum, former member, Board of Directors of International Human Rights Law Group
“I served for 14 years on the Board of Directors of the International
Human Rights Law Group, as it then was called and have taught,
published, and lectured widely in the field of international human
rights law.
I must confess that I have never before had to censure a human rights
organization for procedural flaws and substantively incorrect results
in its work. But I cannot conceive of how either the procedures used,
or the conclusions reached, in the report on the PMOI can be justified.
And the fact that something similar occurred in 1994, when HRW last
reported on the PMOI, makes me suspicious that there is a hidden agenda.
… No efforts was made to interview U.S. military officials who oversaw
operations at Ashraf over months at a time and who had looked into
rumors about abuses at the Camp, and found not a shred of evidence to
support the very charges the HRW makes.
I myself visited Camp Ashraf in early 2004. I spoke freely with many of
them. I do not pretend to have expertise in interrogation, nor was that
part of my mission, but I certainly observed nothing that implied to me
anyone was at Ashraf against his or her will.
As an American lawyer involved in the development of human rights NGOs
over 25 years, I would regretfully add this thought, which I never
thought I would find myself putting on paper: I am deeply disappointed
in Human Rights Watch.”
Hamid Riahi, formerly translator for UNHCR and ICRC in Iraq
“Before my Immigration to Canada on December 14, 1988, I was living in
Shomeli Refugee Camp in Iraq. At that time, for approximately two years
I was translator for UNHCR and the Red Cross. When I was in Iraq, I was
approached by many different organizations to join them in struggle
against the bloodthirsty Iranian regime. But I did not join anyone due
to my family’s financial needs. Even now I do not consider myself a
political person.
“In 1987 and 1988, I translated more than 300 (at least) cases for refugees under
UNHCR and the Red Cross. I also met more than 1,000 people that came from
Mojahedeen, Kumeleh, Hezbe Domocrat, Fadaeian Khalgh and other organizations.
I had not heard even from one person that he or she had been imprisoned
or tortured by Mojahedeen. Most of these refugees came out by their
choice and when they came out of the umbrella of these groups, they
must obey the Iraq’s laws. Of course, if the person did anything
against Iraqi authorities, he would be arrested and in some cases go to
Iraqi jail.
I am appalled that Human Right Watch has not contacted the Red Cross,
UNHCR, translators and many other sources. How can someone claim to be
independent but to prepare a report in this manner?
Morten Høglund, Member of Foreign Affairs Committee of Norwegian Parliament
Last year I had a chance to visit camp Ashraf, and I had the
opportunity to meet and conduct social chat with the members of the
organization. …While I was there, neither I saw any prison, nor have I
heard about mistreatment of the members.
I believe that the HRW report is politically motivated, rather than
being based on independent investigation. I hereby urge HRW to retract
from this report.
Elizabeth Sidney, President of International Women’s Federation Against Fundamentalism and For Equality
This report is very seriously flawed in its methodology and gives every
sign of being politically manipulated. Your report appears
opportunistically issued to counteract the now overwhelming support for
UK and Europe to withdraw the PMOI from the terrorist list. Frankly, it
casts doubt on all your other work.
|
 Go To Top
|
|
Pagina principale 
English
Francais
Deutsch
Italiano
العربيّة
