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Parliamentary Committee welcomes Spanish court decision to investigate Camp Ashraf massacre |
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Tuesday, 01 December 2009 |
PRESS RELEASE
 MPs and Peers from all parties today welcomed a decision by the Spanish central court to investigate the attack in July by Iraq's armed forces on defenceless Iranians based in Camp Ashraf, 60 miles north-east of Baghdad.
Central Investigative Court on 26 November declared that the Resistance members in Ashraf continue to be "protected persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
It said it was competent to investigate the attack on the camp residents under the principles of universal jurisdiction established in the Geneva Conventions.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, chair of the all-Party British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, said: "The court's affirmation of the status of PMOI members as 'protected persons' obliges the US and other Coalition members, as responsible parties in Iraq, to ensure that Baghdad ceases to violate residents' rights and refrains from its threats to forcibly displace them within Iraq".
The Iraqi armed forces' attack on Ashraf residents on 28-29 July, in a pact with Iran, left 11 residents dead, 500 injured and 36 arbitrarily detained for 72 days, constituting a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions.
The Court decided to investigate the attack following a complaint filed by relatives of Ashraf residents.
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom strongly supports the decision of the Spanish courts.
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
1 December 2009
Note to editors:
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom has the support of a majority of MPs and 200 Peers. |
