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Ashraf residents recognized as 'protected persons'

When the war ended, the Coalition conducted a thorough investigation about the PMOI. All those in Ashraf were interviewed and screened by several US agencies. But after a 16-month exhaustive investigation US officials announced that there was no basis to charge any member of the group with links to terrorism. Consequently, in July 2004, the Multi-National Force–Iraq recognized PMOI members as protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

This status was reaffirmed in April 2004 by the International Committee of the Red Cross and by the Multi-National Force-Iraq in subsequent years, including by successive MNF-I Deputy Commanding Generals, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller in July 2004, Maj. Gen. William Brandenburg in October 2005 and by Maj. Gen. John Gardner in February 2006. Accordingly, in the past five years, U.S. forces have provided protection to the residents of Ashraf, keeping them out of harms way. [more...]

Iraqis voice support for Ashraf

After the fall of the former Iraqi government, tens thousands of Iraqis have visited Camp Ashraf and have come to view it as an antifundamentalist bastion. As the result of growing interaction between the Mojahedin and Iraqis, a very cordial and strong set of relationships has taken root. In 2006, some 5.2 million Iraqis, including Sunnis, Shiites, Christians and Kurds, signed a petition, describing the PMOI as the most important barrier against Tehran's meddling in Iraq. Some three million Shiites from southern Iraq signed a similar declaration in 2008, in which they emphasized that the residents of Ashraf are strategic allies of the people of Iraq and should stay there until Iran in liberated. [more...]

Protection of Ashraf cannot be transferred

Relevant provisions of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions prohibit the transfer of Camp Ashraf's protection. In a letter on March 20, 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross underscored the "obligation to act in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement, when transferring persons to another State or authority." It also reiterated that "the residents of Camp Ashraf must not be deported, expelled or repatriated in violation of above-mentioned principle or displaced inside Iraq in violation of the relevant provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)." Similarly, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urged "the Multinational Forces (MNF-I) from any action that could endanger the life or the security of these individuals (Camp Ashraf residents), such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement inside Iraq." Several legal opinions by renowned scholars of international law and IHL, including one by Prof. Eric David, Director of the Center for International Law at the Free University of Brussels, underscored that the United States is the sole authority responsible for the protection of Ashraf residents.

As such, handing over the protection of the residents of Ashraf, who are disarmed and cannot defend themselves against any hostile action, to a government which has already stated its intention to expel them to Iran would be a grave breach of international law and the principle of non-refoulement. Moreover, given that Iraqi security forces are known to have been infiltrated by the Iranian regime's services and agents, transferring the protection of Ashraf to them would invite a humanitarian disaster, which the United States cannot allow to happen.

The Washingtion Post´s report about the petition of 300.000 Iraqis

An interview with General David Petraeus about Ashraf Camp

General Ray Odierno talks to AFP about Ashraf Residents