Iraqi National Security Advisor pledge to close down Ashraf City and move out its residents sets the stage for war crimes, crimes against humanity and is a blatant violation of international laws and conventions
NCRI – The Iranian Resistance views the unlawful remarks by Mr. Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraqi National Security Adviser, on "prohibiting any political, propaganda, cultural, religious, and social activities" of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) and "closure of Camp Ashraf and moving its people and their expulsion to Iran or a third country," a consequence of the Iranian regime's enormous pressures on the Iraqi government, which come following the signing of the security agreement between Iraq and the U.S. government. In addition, the recent judgments by the European Court of Justice annulling the terror label against the PMOI and the 55th United Nations resolution condemning flagrant violations of human rights in Iran have added to the mullahs' paranoia about Ashraf and their efforts to destroy it.
Jurists and parliamentarians worldwide have rejected these remarks as a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms, a blatant breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, International Law, International Humanitarian Law, the Refugee Convention, the Convention Against Torture and all other international covenants. Violating these conventions would undoubtedly constitute a war crime and a crime against humanity.
Different international agencies including UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, Amnesty International, International Federation of Human Rights, as well as prominent religious leaders such the President of Al-Azhar University, the most senior Sunni religious authority, and leaders of the Catholic Church in the U.S. and Canada, have reiterated repeatedly on the unalienable rights of Ashraf residents.
The presence of the PMOI in Iraq also enjoys widespread support among Iraqis, who are frustrated over the violent meddling of the Iranian regime in Iraq. Statements signed by three million Iraqi Shiites (June 2008), 5.2 million Iraqi citizens (June 2006), 450,000 residents of the Diyala Province (June 2007), 3,000 Iraqi sheikhs and tribal leaders (February 2007), 12,000 Iraqi lawyers and jurists (January 2006) and dozens of more statements signed by different sectors and political currents in Iraq, confirm this reality.
Iraq's National Security Adviser has attempted to threaten the PMOI over its cultural, religious, and social activities despite the fact that he has been absolutely silent in respect of crimes by the clerical regime and its agents in Iraq, including the bombing of the water pumping station and pipelines of Ashraf, missile attacks on Ashraf, kidnapping of its residents and bombing a passenger bus carrying Iraqi workers of Ashraf.
Iranian Resistance warns of an increase in these terrorist crimes and a humanitarian catastrophe in Ashraf City.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the UN Security Council, Multi-National Force-Iraq, and Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to condemn these remarks and to reaffirm the rights of residents of Ashraf within the framework of international conventions.
Efforts to mollify the mullahs ruling Iran through such remarks are futile. They will only embolden the mullahs to expand their covetous designs in Iraq and give them more leeway to expand their meddling and aggression in Iraq. Dominating Iraq and exporting terrorism and fundamentalism to that country are strategic imperatives for the religious dictatorship ruling in Iran to preserve its disgraceful and illegitimate rule. It will not abandon them so long as it remains in power.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Paris – December 22, 2008