Another Massacre at Camp Ashraf by Iraqi Forces
Iraqi security forces loyal to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, carried out another attack on the remaining members of Iranian dissident group, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MeK) and killed 52 unarmed member of the banned group early Sunday at their camp north of Baghdad, the Iranian exiles said.
The assault on Camp Ashraf began at 5 a.m. and lasted until late afternoon. Iraqi troops tied the dissidents’ hands behind their backs and shot them in the head, according to eye-witnesses.1
Iraqi officials acknowledged the deaths but blamed them on infighting among the camp’s 100 residents. The United Nations said it "deplores" the events Sunday at Camp Ashraf and plans to deploy a mission to the camp to conduct its own assessment of the violence. It said it is the duty of Iraq to "ensure the safety and security" of the camp's residents.
The details of the attack are yet to be known; however, given the close link between the government of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and the IRI’s undisputed presence in Iraq through its elite Quds force, without a doubt the attack was ordered at the highest level of IRI’s revolutionary guards and government.
“On previous occasions the Iraqi authorities have failed to conduct effective investigations into attacks on camps housing Iranian exiles. This has meant that no one has been held accountable for these incidents, and that residents live in constant fear for their safety,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“Iran Roundtable” strongly condemns the attack on the residents of Camp Asharf and urges the Iraqi authorities to refrain from utilizing any violent actions against the camp residents. “Iran Roundtable” further urges the Iraqi authorities, the US and UN to thoroughly investigate the unwarranted attack and the death of unarmed civilians and hold those responsible for the attack accountable.