Iraqi tribes condemn Iranian regime’s plots against Camp Liberty residents

The brutal attack of October 29, 2015 against Camp Liberty in Iraq met international condemnation including by senior U.S., EU and UN officials. This attack by powerful rockets left 24 members of People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) dead and scores wounded and destroyed sections of this camp. The residents in Camp Liberty are all protected persons by the Fourth Geneva Convention and “people of concern” and asylum-seekers for the UNHCR.

In unison with the international community, the National Council of Iraqi Tribes issued a statement on 29 November 2015 strongly condemning this attack that was conducted at the behest of the Iranian regime by its proxies in Iraq against the Iranian opposition. Part of this communiqué by 2100 tribal sheiks from all over Iraq is as follows:

“Following the horrendous criminal missile attack against the defenseless Iranian refugees in Camp Liberty on October 29 and the killing of 24, harassments by Iranian regime’s elements in the Iraqi government has continued against the residents of Camp Liberty instead of endeavors to close the path to further attacks.

“Members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran housed at Camp Liberty are ‘protected persons’ by the Fourth Geneva Convention and the High Commissioner for Refugees considers them asylum-seekers under international protection. Regretfully, however, these residents are deprived of human rights standards, free access to lawyer, freedom of movement, and free access to medical services.

“During their 30 years of residence in Iraq, they have always acted as a bulwark against fundamentalism.

“Recently, we saw fundamentalism and its atrocity and fathomless savagery in the massacre of innocent French citizens.”
Regarding fresh conspiracies against Camp Liberty residents where the Iranian regime has brought its intelligence agents to the vicinity of the camp under the pretext of residents’ families to spy on the camp and prepare the grounds for future attacks the Iraqi tribal sheiks go on to add:

“We condemn the conspiracy by a group of Iranian regime’s Intelligence Ministry elements under the pretext of residents’ families that was managed by the Iranian regime embassy and the participation of a number of Iraqi parliamentarians. We call on the speaker of the parliament and noble legislators not to allow the Iranian regime and its agents in Iraq to use the parliament in Iraq for their plans to justify the massacres.

“We call for a change in Camp Liberty’s management that has been involved in previous massacres of the residents and urge the United Nations and the U.S. government to end their inaction and live up to their responsibilities and obligations toward the security and protection of Liberty residents.

“We call on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to declare Liberty a refugee camp to ensure its security and respect for residents’ legal rights.”