In a letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister, the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom headed by Lord Corbett that is supported by majority of the House of Commons and 200 peers of the House of Lords, asked for immediate release of the 36 Ashraf residents.
URGENT
Hon. Nuri al-Maliki
Prime Minister of Iraq
Office of the Prime Minister
Baghdad,
Iraq
29 September 2009
Dear Mr. Prime Minister
Re: Camp Ashraf
We write on behalf of a majority of MPs and 200 members of the House of Lords as a matter of
urgency regarding the unlawful continued detention of 36 Camp Ashraf residents despite a
definitive court judgement ordering their release.
These 36 Iranian refugees, who are “protected persons” status under international law, have
been on hunger strike for the past 63 days against their unlawful detention.
The attack on the civilian population in Camp Ashraf by Iraq’s armed forces, in which these 36
were arbitrarily detained, was illegal. It has greatly tarnished Iraq’s image in the eyes of the
international community. Any deterioration in the health of these refugees after two months on hunger strike is the responsibility of your government.
The court in Khalis yesterday for the third time ordered the release of the 36 Ashraf residents. It definitively acquitted all of them of bogus charges of attacking police and entering Iraq
illegally. The court affirmed that the judgement was final and not liable to further appeal.
Police in Diyala have unlawfully refused to release the 36. Your government has an obligation
to release these innocent people both under Iraqi law and international law.
Iraq’s right to uphold its sovereignty is not incompatible with respect for the human rights of
the PMOI members in Ashraf and international law.
In the quest for establishing democracy and freedom in Iraq, our country did not put its
soldiers’ lives on the line and use taxpayers’ money so that the current Iraqi government would end up violating human rights and international laws and standards.
We urge you to issue a directive ordering the immediate release of the 36 before any further
harm comes about to them.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
Chairman, British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, Government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation
Rt. Hon. Baroness Boothroyd OM, Former Speaker of the House of Commons
Rt. Hon. Lord Waddington GCVO DL QC, former Home Secretary
Rt. Hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QC, former Solicitor-General
Rt. Hon. Lord Fraser of Carmyllie QC, former Lord Advocate for Scotland
Lord Dholakia OBE DL, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party
Rt. Rev. Lord Harries of Pentregarth FKC DD FRSL, former Bishop of Oxford
Mr. David Jones MP, Shadow Minister for Wales
Mr. Henry Bellingham MP, Shadow Minister for Constitutional Affairs/Justice
Baroness Gould of Potternewton, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
Baroness Turner of Camden, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
Mr. Andrew Mackinlay MP, Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
Baroness Verma, Opposition Whip and Spokesperson for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Mr. Mike Hancock CBE MP, leader of the UK Liberal Democrats at the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
Lord Wedderburn of Charlton QC
Rt. Hon. Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Mr. David Amess MP
The Lord Bilston
Rt. Hon. Lord Eden of Winton PC
Mr. Bill Etherington MP
Mr. Austin Mitchell MP
Mr. Robert Wareing MP
Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen OBE
Baroness Masham of Ilton DL
Lord Rea
Lord Roberts of Llandudno
Mr. Martin Caton MP
Mr. Jim Dobbin MP
Mr. Eddie O’Hara MP
Dr. Rudi Vis MP
Mr. Brian Binley MP
Mr. David Drew MP
Lord King of West Bromwich
Mr. Mark Williams MP
Lord Inglewood DL
Lord Turnberg
Mr. Roger Gale MP
Baroness Blood
Mr. John Leech MP
Lord Clarke of Hampstead
Lord Joffe CBE
Mr. Bob Russell MP
Lord Cotter
Mr. Joe Benton MP
CC:
Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Foreign Minister of Iraq
Mr. Hamid al-Bayati, Iraqi Permanent Mission to the UN
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN
Mr. Ad Melkert, UNAMI
Ms. Navanethem Pillay, OHCHR
Mr. Christopher Hill, Ambassador of the US to Iraq
General Raymond Odierno, MNF-I Commander
