WILPF Call for Action on Camp Ashraf

22 September 2011

On Wednesday 21 September, WILPF participated on a panel session on the issue of Camp Ashraf, which was held as a side event to the 18th session of Human Rights Council. WILPF has during the last year repeatedly drawn attention to the situation of the people living in Camp Ashraf and the grave human rights violations that continues to take place there. The joint message of yesterday’s panelists was the call for immediate international action and support for the people in Camp Ashraf by the international community. The Ashraf people have already been subjected to repeated severe acts of violence and assaults including the massacre in April of this year. The Iraqi regime wants to close the camp and has declared that the camp must be dissolved and removed by the end of the year. As this deadline is rapidly getting closer, the Ashraf people fear yet another massacre - this time even more deadly than the last one. The UNHCR has recently acknowledged the persons in the camp as asylum seekers who therefore have the right to protection under international law. The UNHCR has also urged for an extension of the deadline for the closing of the camp, a request that has not yet been heeded by the Iraqi government.

The people of Camp Ashraf need our help, and WILPF therefore encourage all members to start lobbying your governments and state representatives to take immediate action in terms of supporting the Ashraf people. What is needed:

• An extension of the deadline to close the camp;

• For the UN to send a Human Rights monitoring team to Camp Ashraf in order to enable UNHCR to complete the registration process without interference from Iraqi or other armed groups;

• For the countries of the European Union to give every assistance to the UNHCR by offering settlements to those from Ashraf who do seek asylum.

Time is running out for the Ashraf people, so we need to take action now!