The Dutch Group of Friends of a Free Iran
Statement
26 August 2009
Dutch Group Friends Of a Free Iran has learned that on Monday 24 August, the judge in Al-Khalis, the town near Camp Ashraf in Diyala province, Iraq, ruled that the 36 Ashraf hostages should be released and passed the verdict to the police for implementation. The verdict was also approved by the Al-Khalis Prosecutor. They ordered that the detained PMOI members must be released immediately.
But so far the Iraqi government has refused to obey the instruction of the court and has refused to release them. All 36 Ashraf hostages are on their 30th day of hunger strike. Dutch Group Friends Of a Free Iran calls on the US government as the legal protector of the ’Protected Persons’ of Camp Ashraf under the Fourth Geneva Convention, to ensure the release of all 36 hostages in accordance with the explicit ruling of the judge in Al-Khalis.
Dutch group FOFI also calls on the Swedish Presidency of the European Union to intervene to implement the rule of law and return these 36 detainees to Camp Ashraf. The EU must call for a team of United Nations observers to be stationed in Ashraf to ensure the future safety of its residents. The EU should also react about the violation of the rights of Ashraf residents and the absolute disregard of the Iraqi government and forces to the European Parliament’s resolution of 24 April 2009, in which the parliament demanded that the Iraqi government should end the outrageous blockade of Ashraf and respect the rights of the residents there as Protected Persons under Fourth Geneva Convention.
Prof. Dr. Henk de Haan
Chairman of the Dutch Group of Friends Of a Free Iran
Signed on behalf of the following members:
Drs. Robert Roosenboom, priest and Member of State of the Province of Flevoland;
Leen La Rivière, Member of Board of the CNV Trade Unions of the Netherlands;
Ria La Rivière, Member of Board of the CNV Trade Unions for Artists;
H. Ten Hoeve, Member of the Dutch Senate; Johan Fukken, teacher;
Ferry Wever, chairman of the Committee for Peace, freedom and democracy in Iran.
And honorable member: Eddy Schuyer, former Member of the Dutch Senate
Dutch Group FOFI is part of the Friends Of a Free Iran intergroup in the European Parliament, which cooperates with the French Committee for a Democratic Iran, and the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom.Dutch Group FOFI has a widespread support in the Netherlands among a variety of people representing the Dutch society like politicians, trade unions, religious honourables, artists and teachers.
