London,Nejat association,December 18 2008 – Shadow Minister for Sport, Mr Hugh Robertson met with the Nejat Society delegation in
Nejat representatives described conditions inside Camp Ashraf in Iraq. The camp is the military/ideological training base of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MKO) cult organisation. The group has been detained there by the American army since 2003.
Mr Robertson was sympathetic to the stories of two women in the delegation who have not seen their relatives for many years because of MKO directives for members to divorce from their spouses, children and families. Mrs Foroushani, from Isfahan, has a son in Camp Ashraf and Mrs Iranpour, from Shiraz, has two brothers in the camp.
Nejat explained that for the past five years the Iraqi government has been demanding the MKO be removed from Iraqi territory as part of Saddam Hussein’s suppressive apparatus. The MKO is officially regarded by the Iraqi government as a foreign terrorist entity. Although the MKO has been on the US list of terrorist entities since 1997, the army has not moved to dismantle the military infrastructure of what the American government itself describes as a foreign terrorist organisation, and its training base in Iraq.
Nejat is asking UK policy and decision makers along with human rights organisations in the UK to support the position of the Iraqi government toward the MKO.
The delegation explained that the first steps toward resolving the problem posed by Camp Ashraf include facilitating free and unfettered reunions between families and their relatives in the camp. A separate camp should immediately be established adjacent to the camp in which members can take refuge if they choose to renounce violence and go back to civilian life. Nobody should be forced to remain a member of a dangerous paramilitary force against their will.
Mr Robertson agreed that a humanitarian approach should be followed in resolving the problem.
Report by Iran Interlink
