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Iran-Iraq: Lord Corbett of Castle Vale expresses concern over abdution of PMOI members

Iran-Iraq: Lord Corbett of Castle Vale expresses concern over abdution of PMOI membersIn separate letters to Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Iraq Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, Chairman, British Committee for Iran Freedom, expressed his grave concerns over abduction of two members of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran by agents of Iranian regime in Iraq. Following is the text of his letter:

I am extremely concerned to learn of the apparent abduction at about 12.30 hours on 4th August in Baghdad of two members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) who are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention. As you will be aware, this protection applied to all of those currently at Camp Ashraf.

It now appears that the two men, Mr Hossein Pouyan (Mehrpoya) and Mr Mohammad Ali Zahedi, have been taken to Al-Amarah from where it is said to be planned to hand them over to Iranian officials. You will appreciate that the appalling human rights record of the mullahs in Tehran means there is every expectation that these men will be subject to torture and abuse.

Witnesses to the abduction in Karradah Kharej Street have described two Iraqi police vehicles used in the incident, which belong to the 9th Badr Brigade and the Interior Ministery’s special forces. After being seized both men were taken to the Interior Ministery building.

If either or both of these men are suspected of any criminal offence, then they should be charged and brought before court. If not, then they should be released forthwith. What is without argument is that, as UN protected persons, they have the right to have their security and safety upheld by both your government and the occupying powers which would preclude any handover to a regime from which they have fled and which they seek to replace by peaceful means.

Those many of us encouraging you and your fellow citizens in the building of a democracy for too long denied, expect you to uphold unequivocally the UN Convention which protects these men.

I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your earliest comments.