Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Australia: Father of 3 passes 50th day on hunger strike to free 7 Camp Ashraf hostages

A PASCOE VALE father-of-three has passed the 50th day of a hunger strike to protest the alleged murders of members of an Iranian dissident group at Iraq’s Camp Ashraf.
Jahangir Hosseini, 54, and fellow protesters, including his wife Zeinab, are calling for seven survivors to be ¬released safely to a country of resettlement – possibly Australia – and that all Iranian refugees in Iraq be able to be resettled immediately.
Mr Hosseini said his hunger strike would continue ¬until all Mujahideen-e-Khalq hostages abducted by Iraqi forces were released.
He has protested outside the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on Lonsdale St since September 19.
Mr Hosseini fled Iran “for political reasons” and resettled in Australia in 1989, but has remained outspoken. He said the strike was part of the global protest sparked by the September 1 massacre at Camp Ashraf, which led to the alleged murder of 52 Iranian refugees and abduction of seven.
Mr Hosseini, who is surviving on tea, water and fruit juice, said he was “mentally strong but physically weak”.
The lack of food has started to take its toll on his body – causing dizziness, significant weight loss and a lack of bladder control – but he said the thought of the refugees gave him strength.
“The 3100 people in Camp Liberty are in a very bad condition in Iraq,” he said. The human rights advocate said he was “standing (up) for justice, human rights, peace, democracy and freedom”.
 
The Victorian Trades Hall Council and unions, including the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and Australian Services Union, have supported the protest.
Wills federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson backed a Coburg ALP branch motion that called on the Federal Government to request the Iraqi government release the seven hostages and prevent their extradition to Iran.
The motion also called on the Government to request the UN station a permanent Blue Helmet team at Camp Liberty, an investigation be undertaken into the September 1 violence and perpetrators be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court.

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