January 20, 2014

Two million and 155 thousand people from all walks of life in Iraq from 18 provinces call on the UN and US to impel the Iraqi government to release 7 Ashrafi hostages and guarantee Camp Liberty residents’ protection

Press Release
Two million and 155 thousand people from all walks of life in Iraq from 18 provinces call on the UN and US to impel the Iraqi government to release 7 Ashrafi hostages and guarantee Camp Liberty residents’ protection
The signatories of this statement condemn the Iranian regime’s bloody and occupational meddling in Iraq and inflaming the sectarian war in this country, and demand an end to such measures
In a widespread campaign collecting signatures carried out in response to a national and humanitarian call of the Iraqi people in defense of Liberty residents issued by the Iraq National Tribes Council, and in coordination with a large number of tribal associations and national and patriotic movements, 2 million and 155 thousand people from 18 Iraqi provinces signed a joint statement condemning the bloody and criminal attacks against members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) in Liberty, and called for the stationing of UN forces in this camp and for the residents’ protection to be guaranteed. Amongst these signatories, coming from various walks of life and all above the age of 18, are 3,126 sheikhs with 40 senior tribal sheikhs; 14,122 lawyers and jurists; 39,861 physicians, engineers and university professors; 508 clerics and senior religious figures; 25,267 writers and intellectuals; and 203,195 women. In this campaign sheikh councils, non-government organizations and associations, women associations, university students centers, legal associations and institutions and … also participated from all over Iraq.
The signatories of this statement expressed their outrage of Iran’s destructive influence in Iraq and reiterated: “By inflaming the sectarian war and provoking terrorist measures in Iraq, the Iranian regime has shed the blood of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis and also made millions of others flee from their homes. This regime has also placed the Iraqi government under its intense influence… the Iranian regime’s dominance over Iraq has reached a point that it has through the Iraqi government and its agents in this country staged 7 vicious attacks against the PMOI, the opposition to the Iranian regime. The members of this organization are defenseless and under international protection, and the result of these attacks have been 116 killed and over 1,375 others injured. This is while they were ‘protected persons’ under the 4th Geneva Convention and the Iraqi government, US government and UN had given signed commitments to protect them. Forces under the command of the Iraqi Prime Ministry have not sufficed to these attacks but also abducted 7 Ashraf residents, consisting of 6 women and 1 man, as hostages.”
The signatories of this statement emphasized: “PMOI members are ‘protected persons’ under the 4th Geneva Convention and they enjoy international protection. The US is responsible in the face of their protection based on an agreement it signed with each and every member, and in our opinion the silence of the US and UN regarding these crimes and pressures is allowing the Iranian regime and its Iraqi agents to increase their killings and pressures, and we strongly condemn this matter. The PMOI are the Iraqi people’s honorable guests, have always had brotherly relations with the Iraqi people and have stood alongside them at all times.”
2,155,000 signatories of this statement in conclusion called on the UN and US government to immediately carry out the following measures:
1.     Impel the Iraqi government to release the 7 Ashrafi hostages as soon as possible.
2.     Station UN forces in Liberty and guarantee security standards in this camp.
3.     Conduct an impartial investigation on the horrifying crimes of 1 September 2013 and specify the perpetrators and elements behind this crime.
4.     Ending the Iranian regime’s bloody and occupational meddling in Iraq as the element behind the sectarian war in this country.

Secretariat of the National Council for Tribes of Iraq
Baghdad – 20 January 2014


 








                               

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