The text of the joint statement of 66 Iraqi Kurdistan political dignitaries: “The lives of refugees and their rights must be protected.”
“After the dossier of Iranian refugees in Camp Ashraf was transferred by US forces to the Iraqi government in early 2009, to this day Iraqi government forces have carried out massacres on seven occasions, and the 1 Sep 2013 massacre in Camp Ashraf was a significant example of these carnages; without the Iraqi government allowing an independent international investigation in this regard or anyone be arrested for committing this crime or be taken to court and be punished.
“To this day 134 of these Iranian refugees have been killed and over 1,300 were injured. Ashrafis, forcefully transferred to Camp Liberty that lacks necessary needs, and are threatened and harshly besieged by the Iraqi government, have been the targets of four missile attacks, all carried out with Iraqi government cooperation.
“All Camp Ashraf residents that are now settled in Camp Liberty are ‘protected persons’ under the Fourth Geneva Convention and recognized as refugees and asylum seekers by the UN Refugee Agency, and ‘protected’ based on international laws.
“We the signatories of this statement, relying on humanitarian and human rights values, join voice with the international campaign to protect these refugees and call for the following:
“Impel the Iraqi government to lift the siege on the camp and allow the residents provide for their security and protective means at their own expense (including returning protecting T-walls that were in Liberty before).
“To prevent further massacres and provide security and protection for the lives of the residents, it is necessary for a UN monitoring team to station permanently in Liberty, and Liberty be announced as a refugee camp under UNHCR supervision.
“We call on the UN to establish an international committee to carry out a transparent and independent investigation into the massacres that took place. Impel the Iraqi government to release the seven hostages.
“Allow the residents to enjoy humane and medical services at their own expense and construct buildings for the patients.”
The Kurdish Awine News website reported: Kurdish political dignitaries, intellectuals and activists in their statement called for Camp Liberty residents to be allowed to provide for their security and protection needs at their own expense, including returning T-walls that were in the camp before. They also called for the siege imposed on the camp to be lifted. This statement called for a UN force with the goal of preventing massacres and to provide safety and security for the residents to be stationed permanently inside Camp Liberty, and it is necessary that Liberty be recognized as a refugee camp and be placed under UNHCR supervision. These dignitaries said following the transfer of the Iranian refugees’ dossier in Camp Ashraf at the beginning of 2009 from US forces to the Iraqi government, to this day the residents of this camp were targeted 7 times – with attacks supported by the Iraqi government – and the most significant attack took place on September 2013 in Camp Ashraf.
