UK government denies any contact with Mojahedin Khalq (MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult) terrorists
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... “The British Government has no form of contact with this organization, as a point of principle,” Foreign Office spokesman Barry Marston said. “The MKO was responsible for a number of horrible acts of terrorism against ordinary Iranians and have never unambiguously renounced violence,” Marston told IRNA. Marston said Britain “condemned acts of terrorism in Iran by criminal groups like Jondallah & the MKO, particularly horrific attacks against Mosques, security forces & innocent people.” ...
IRNA, London, June 17, 2010
http://www.irna.ir/En/View/FullStory/?NewsId=1183391&idLanguage=3
London June 17, IRNA -- The British Foreign Office Thursday denied any links with the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) terrorist organisation despite removing the anti-Iran group from its proscribed list two years ago.
“The British Government has no form of contact with this organization, as a point of principle,” Foreign Office spokesman Barry Marston said.
“The MKO was responsible for a number of horrible acts of terrorism against ordinary Iranians and have never unambiguously renounced violence,” Marston told IRNA.
“Neither do we believe this group enjoys any kind of popular support inside Iran,” he said after British Ambassador Simon Gass was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Tehran following accusations of UK involvement in terrorist plots.
The MKO were among the first terrorist groups to be outlawed in the UK in 2001, but also became the first to be deproscribed two years ago, leading to suggestions that the move was politically motivated coming at a time of deterioration in relations.
The UK government has always accepted that the anti-Iran group have never categorically given up terrorism but insisted that it was forced to remove it from their banned list after losing a court ruling that was supported by many MPs in 2008.
Marston said Britain “condemned acts of terrorism in Iran by criminal groups like Jondallah & the MKO, particularly horrific attacks against Mosques, security forces & innocent people.”
“Accusations that Britain has had any involvement in supporting such groups is ridiculous and untrue,” he said, adding that the UK government takes “terrorism extremely seriously, so in principle we'd be ready to cooperate with the Iranian authorities relating to credible evidence of genuine acts of terrorism."
-------- Also read: Open Letter to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, from Iran Interlink . . . . ... Since your government has taken the responsibility for the future actions of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (Rajavi cult) by trusting its claims to have renounced violence and removing it from your list of proscribed organisations in the UK, I am sure that you agree that the security of myself and my family and my co-workers as well as the security needed to continue our humanitarian work in the UK rests now more than at any other time on the shoulders of your government ... Massoud Khodabandeh, June 30, 2008 . Dear Prime Minister, Your government’s recent move to de-proscribe the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation, while the elected government of Palestine and half the members of Lebanon’s parliament are on it, is a clear reflection of the policies pursued by your government, the American administration and the Israeli lobby in London and Washington toward the Middle East. It is hoped that this latest reckless showing of the ‘terrorism card’ in the Middle East will not bring harm again to the doorsteps of people in the UK and US as support for Al Qaida once did. (Though it does strongly imply an ‘empty hand’ in confronting the Iranian regime.) Dear Sir, As you are aware, Iran-Interlink exists in order to expose the Iranian Mojahedin-e Khalq organisation (aka MKO, MeK, PMOI, NCRI, NLA) as a violent, destructive cult which systematically abuses the human rights of its own members. The MKO’s use of psychological and physical coercion against its own members has been well documented and needs no further reiteration. Iran-Interlink also aims to provide humanitarian support for victims of this cult who wish to leave and by renouncing violence, return to normal society. As the representative of Iran-Interlink, together with Sahar Family Foundation of Baghdad, I am currently working closely with the government of Iraq and with the Kurdish Regional Government to rescue tens of disaffected members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq who have escaped the MKO’s military HQ at Camp Ashraf in Diyali province of Iraq. We understand that the Mojahedin-e Khalq is making every effort to stop this work; which includes approaching the UK and US governments to ask you to prevent people from escaping from their infamous camp. As long as your government had proscribed the MKO as a terrorist entity, efforts by the group’s supporters, in particular the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, led by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, to stop Iran Interlink from working had been somewhat limited. During this time, efforts were made by the editor of a major British newspaper with connections in parliament to put pressure on Iran Interlink in Leeds. Another individual was prevented by anti-terrorism police from carrying out further activities against us. The Home Secretary is informed how Lord Corbett and others have justified the assassination of myself and others involved in this work. However, since the time your government clearly allied itself with the MKO by removing it from the terrorism list, the MKO has already stepped up its efforts to stop us. On my return from a recent trip to Baghdad (where my security was fulfilled thoroughly by the government of Mr. Noori Al Maleki) and passing though the Kurdish region (where I was protected to the best possible standards thanks to the Regional Government of Mr. Barzani), I was sadly informed of plans by the MKO through its UK agents to assassinate me and colleagues which include my British wife, Anne Singleton. I have been informed that private investigators have been hired to undertake covert surveillance against myself and my colleagues and in addition, contacts have been formed with criminal gangs, whose use to the MKO can only be wondered about. As experts in this cult and its methodology, we have previously warned that MKO leader Massoud Rajavi has issued a ‘death sentence’ against the members of Iran Interlink. In an announcement made immediately after his organisation was removed from the UK terrorist list, in a TV satellite program broadcast from London, Rajavi gave the order for this assassination to be carried out. The well established code to the cult members for an assassination order is the allegation of “travelling to Iran” and the subsequent allegation of “working for the Iranian regime”. Since your government has taken the responsibility for the future actions of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (Rajavi cult) by trusting its claims to have renounced violence and removing it from your list of proscribed organisations in the UK, I am sure that you agree that the security of myself and my family and my co-workers as well as the security needed to continue our humanitarian work in the UK rests now more than at any other time on the shoulders of your government. Yours sincerely, ---------- Also read: Britain removes terrorist group MKO (Rajavi cult) from her lists as Iraq puts them firmly on the list A report by Kristiane Backer (World Week Watch) An interview with Massoud Khodabandeh . . World Watch Week, Press TV, June 29, 2008 Link to Kristiane Backer personal site: . link to the report. Video file - 32 MB link to the report. Video file - 32 MB ----------
Also: Iran arrests members of "terrorist" exiled group (Washington backed Mojahedin Khalq members arrested before detonating bombs) . ... The report said members of the Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO) were arrested by the Intelligence Ministry before they could detonate bombs in "a few squares in Tehran". "By using some ... people trained in Iraq ... and the support of Britain, Sweden and France, the leaders of this criminal group wanted to detonate bombs in sensitive places in Tehran," Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted as saying ... Reuters, June 15, 2010 TEHRAN June 15 (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested members of an exiled opposition group who had planned terrorist attacks in Tehran on the first anniversary of a disputed presidential election, state television reported. ---------- Iranian TV broadcast the confessions of arrested members:
----------- Also: Official American version of events at Camp Ashraf
... There were allegations during the year that some of the 3,400 members of the MEK terrorist organization located at Ashraf were denied the right to leave under threat of reprisal from MEK leaders. These allegations were corroborated by several former Ashraf residents who had fled the camp. Individuals claimed to have been subjected to psychological and physical abuse ... State Department, USA, March 2010 2009 Human Rights Report: Iraq Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices March 11, 2010 Link to the full report (...) a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life ... On July 28, clashes erupted at Ashraf in Diyala Province when the ISF attempted to establish a police presence inside the more than 3,400-person compound of the terrorist Iranian dissident group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). The clashes resulted in the deaths of 11 MEK members and injuries to 30 ISF officers. The government credibly claimed the MEK provoked the clashes by staging a violent demonstration to block the ISF from entering the compound. (...) d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons ... There were allegations during the year that some of the 3,400 members of the MEK terrorist organization located at Ashraf were denied the right to leave under threat of reprisal from MEK leaders. These allegations were corroborated by several former Ashraf residents who had fled the camp. Individuals claimed to have been subjected to psychological and physical abuse, including threats of reprisal against family members and solitary confinement in Ashraf to discourage defections. ----------- Also: The secretary of US embassy exposed Mojahedin Khalq(MKO, MEK,PMOI, Rajavi cult) leadership . ... The second secretary of the American embassy in Baghdad, published a documented report on the crimes committed by the MEK’s leaders who bloodshed their own colleagues, raped the women of Ashraf, poisoned and executed dozens of the defectors ... Fars News Agency,Translated by Nejat NGO, October 22, 2008 Link to the orginal reprot (Persian) The Second secretary of US embassy report on the horrible crimes of MKO leader ----- Also: British Minister of State: We believe it is in the interest of residents to cooperate peacefully with Iraqi authorities . ... Government of Iraq would deal with the residents of the camp with respect for their human rights in co-operation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We believe it is in the interests of the residents to respect and accept the decision made by the Government of Iraq, and to cooperate peacefully with the Iraqi authorities ... House of Commons, British Parliament, March 16, 2010 David Drew (Stroud, Labour) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Iraq on the situation in Camp Ashraf; and if he will take steps to ensure that residents of Camp Ashraf are not driven from Iraq. Ivan Lewis (Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Bury South, Labour) We have discussed the situation at Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Human Rights Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Iraqi Government's Ashraf Committee. I met the Iraqi Foreign Minister in Baghdad in December 2009 and underlined the need for the Iraqi authorities to deal with the residents of Camp Ashraf in a way that meets international humanitarian standards. In addition we discuss the issue with the UN, US, and the EU. The Iraqi authorities have told the residents that they can no longer stay at Camp Ashraf but has given assurances that no residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution, or where substantial grounds exist to believe they would be tortured. The Iraqi Human Rights Minister confirmed to our ambassador on 27 January 2010 that the Government of Iraq would deal with the residents of the camp with respect for their human rights in co-operation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We believe it is in the interests of the residents to respect and accept the decision made by the Government of Iraq, and to cooperate peacefully with the Iraqi authorities. ---------- Also UK Parliament - some sensible answers to Mojahedin (Rajavi cult) claims . ... In the case of occupied territory, the Convention continues to apply for a year after the general close of military operations, and partially thereafter if the occupying power continues to exercise the functions of government. The occupation of Iraq formally ended on 30 June 2004... UK Parliament, April 20-21 2009 Written answers ----------- Also read: I. Summary II. Background III. Rise of Dissent inside the MKO IV. Human Rights Abuses in the MKO Camps V. Testimonies May 2005 ----------- Also Film from Camp New Iraq (formerly Ashraf) Iran-Interlink, at the gates of camp Ashraf, Iraq, April 2010 Film showing the violent reaction of Mojahedin-e Khalq to the families trying to visit their children who are being held captive inside the camp by the Rajavis. (Link to the Video file Part one, 100MB) * * *
(Link to the Video file Part two, 100MB) * * * ------- Also: Human Rights Minister: documents confirm the illegality of the presence of people in Camp Ashraf in Iraq . ... For decades the MKO have been in this camp and have not been regarded as refugees. Now neither the UNHCR nor the International Organization for Migration deal with them on that basis. The Ministry has addressed these organisations formally more than once in order to lend a helping hand to them, but they always affirm in their responses that that the MKO is a military organization and has not demilitarized ... Alsabah, Baghdad, March 18, 2010 (Translated by Iran Interlink) After investigations by the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights, Minister Salim said that the presence of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq is illegal. She stressed that the Iraqi government will deal with them in a purely humanitarian manner, and added that since 2003 it has secured the freedom of 300 of them who wanted to leave the camp. حقوق الانسان: وثائق تؤكد عدم قانونية تواجد سكان معسكر أشرف في العراق http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?source=akbar&mlf=interpage&sid=99446 اكدت وزيرة حقوق الانسان المهندسة وجدان سالم ان تواجد سكان معسكر اشرف في العراق غير قانوني فيما شددت على ان الحكومة العراقية تتعامل معهم بشكل انساني بحت لاسيما انها امنت منذ عام 2003 اخراج 300 منهم رغبوا بترك المعسكر. المهندسة سالم اوضحت ان وفودا من الوزارة تقوم بزيارة المعسكر بين الحين والاخر للاطلاع على احوال سكانه بالتنسيق مع مكاتب اللجنة الدولية للصليب الاحمروالامم المتحدة المتواجدة هناك ،كاشفة عن اعادة اكثر من 36 شخصا طلبوا الخروج من المعسكر خلال اقل من سنة وباشراف الوزارة المباشر ، منهم طلبوا العودة الى ايران بدون اي تاثير من جهات حكومية اذ تمت احالتهم الى اللجنة الدولية للصليب الاحمر التي تولت مسؤولية ذلك . ونبهت الى ضرورة عدم السماح بنقل مشاكل دول الجوار الى العراق ، لافتة ان عناصر منظمة خلق الساكنين بالمعسكر منذ عشرات السنين ليسوا بلاجئين لاسيما ان منظمة الهجرة الدولية ومفوضية شؤون اللاجئين لا تتعاملان معهم على اساس ذلك وترفضان التعاون معهم ، اذ ان الوزارة خاطبت هاتين الجهتين بشكل رسمي لاكثر من مرة بغية مد يد العون لهم الا انهما تؤكدان في اجاباتهما دائما على ان اليات تواجدهم تدل على انهم منظمة عسكرية ليست منزوعة السلاح وانهما ستتعاملان معهم حال خروجهم من المعسكر بصفة مدنية،اما مسألة حمايتهم فاوضحت انه وفقا للقوانين والاتفاقات الخاصة بحماية الاشخاص فان على هذه الجهات توفير الحماية للسكان اذا ما توافدوا من بلد يعاني من نزاعات عسكرية او حروب ،مبينة ان ذلك لا ينطبق على هؤلاء كونهم ليسوا من دولة تعاني من حروب او نزاعات. وبينت سالم انه منذ بداية سريان الاتفاقية الامنية المشتركة مع الولايات المتحدة والتي تم خلالها نقل مسؤولية المعسكر من الجانب الامريكي الى العراقي فقد تغير الوضع القانوني لهم بشكل كامل لاسيما بعد الاطلاع على ملفات المتواجدين هناك واوراقهم الرسمية التي لم نجد بها اية طلبات لجوء او حماية ما يدل على ان تواجدهم غير شرعي. ودعت الى ضرورة ان تكون الصفة العامة في التعامل معهم هي الصفة الانسانية وعدم ترحيلهم الى بلدان قد يتعرضون بها الى اذى او تعذيب ،مؤكدة ان الحكومة العراقية التزمت بهذا المبدأ ولم تنقلهم قسريا الى مكان اخر لا تتوفر به خدمات او عناية، مبدية استغرابها من رفض سكان المنطقة الانتقال الى اية ارض عراقية اخرى غير ارض المعسكر علما انها غير مؤجرة او موهوبة لهم من قبل اية جهة. --- Also: New document on Mojahedin Khalq released by RAND (The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq, A Policy Conundrum) . . . RAND, August 05, 2009 A new document (133pages) was released today by RAND * * * Link to the document (pdf file) ... A RAND study examined the evolution of this controversial decision, which has left the United States open to charges of hypocrisy in the war on terrorism. An examination of MeK activities establishes its cultic practices and its deceptive recruitment and public relations strategies. A series of coalition decisions served to facilitate the MeK leadership's control over its members. The government of Iraq wants to expel the group, but no country other than Iran will accept it. Thus, the RAND study concludes that the best course of action would be ... Link to the document (pdf file) ------- Also read: U.S. Handling of Mujahedin-E-Khalq Since U.S. Invasion of Iraq Is Examined (The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq , A Policy Conundrum) . . Jeremiah Goulka, Lydia Hansell, Elizabeth Wilke, Judith Larson, RAND, August 04, 2009 At the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Coalition forces classified the Mujahedin-e Khalq, a militant organization from Iran with cult-like elements that advocates the overthrow of Iran's current government, as an enemy force. The MeK had provided security services to Saddam Hussein from camps established in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War to fight Iran in collaboration with Saddam's forces and resources. A new study from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, looks at how coalition forces handled this group following the invasion. Although the MeK is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States, coalition forces never had a clear mission on how to deal with it. After a ceasefire was signed between Coalition forces and the MeK, the U.S. Secretary of Defense designated this group's members as civilian "protected persons" rather than combatant prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. The coalition's treatment of the MeK leaves it – and the United States in particular – open to charges of hypocrisy, offering security to a terrorist group rather than breaking it up. Research suggests that most of the MeK rank-and-file are neither terrorists nor freedom fighters, but trapped and brainwashed people who would be willing to return to Iran if they were separated from the MeK leadership. Many members were lured to Iraq from other countries with false promises, only to have their passports confiscated by the MeK leadership, which uses physical abuse, imprisonment, and other methods to keep them from leaving. Iraq wants to expel the group, but no country other than Iran will accept it. The RAND study suggests the best course of action would have been to repatriate MeK rank-and-file members back to Iran, where they have been granted amnesty since 2003. To date, Iran appears to have upheld its commitment to MeK members in Iran. The study also concludes better guidelines be established for the possible detention of members of designated terrorist organizations. The study, "The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq: A Policy Conundrum," can be found here. For more information, or to arrange an interview with the authors, contact Lisa Sodders in the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 393-0411, ext. 7139, or lsodders@rand.org. Learn More iconFull Document (http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG871/) iconNational Security Research Area (http://www.rand.org/research_areas/national_security/) iconE-mail sign up (http://www.rand.org/publications/email.html)
(Alejo Vidal-Quadras , Mojahedin Khalq logo, Struan stevenson )
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4762
Massoud Khodabandeh
Leeds, U.K.
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4738
http://www.presstv.ir/Programs/archive/?secid=3510508
http://kristianebacker.com/index.html
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=8231
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSHOS556095
The report said members of the Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO) were arrested by the Intelligence Ministry before they could detonate bombs in "a few squares in Tehran".
"By using some ... people trained in Iraq ... and the support of Britain, Sweden and France, the leaders of this criminal group wanted to detonate bombs in sensitive places in Tehran," Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted as saying.
Moslehi did not say how many people were arrested or when.
The report came two days after Iran said it had arrested 13 members of an anti-revolutionary group who had carried out terrorist attacks in the Islamic state.
Tehran said that armed group was linked to the Islamic state's "foreign enemies".
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned the opposition on Saturday not to hold protests to mark the anniversary of last June's presidential vote or face confrontation with the hardline force.
Opposition leaders had called off a planned rally, fearing for people's lives after authorities refused permission for the rally.
Last year's unrest, the worst since formation of the Islamic republic in 1979, was quelled by the Guards with violent crackdowns, mass detentions and executions. Two people were hanged and scores of detainees remain in jail, including 30 women.
The opposition says the vote was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's win. The authorities deny the accusations, which they say are part of a Western-orchestrated plot to overthrow the Islamic state.
Moslehi said at least one of the detained MKO members had been involved in the post-election unrest.
Iranian officials often accuse the United States, Britain and Israel of supporting terrorists. They dismiss such allegations. (Editing by Andrew Roche) 
http://iran-interlink.org/index.php?mod=view&id=7991
.jpg)
(Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, cult leaders)
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136069.htm
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136069.htm
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=5290
http://www.nejatngo.org/en/post.aspx?id=2062
http://iran-interlink.org/fa/?mod=view&id=5281
The second secretary of the American embassy in Baghdad, published a documented report on the crimes committed by the MEK’s leaders who bloodshed their own colleagues, raped the women of Ashraf, poisoned and executed dozens of the defectors.
According to FNA reporter in Baghdad, the second secretary of American embassy in Baghdad, William, revealed the bloody violence of Masud Rajavi, MKO leader, against the dissident members, in the third and forth chapter of the report on the actual situation of Mujahedin.
The American official, who investigated the documents and files on Mujahedin, has been one of the authorities who control Camp Ashraf. The report reads:
Like Malik Farough, the former king of Jordan, Masud Rajavi abuses even his female colleagues.”
In another part of the report you can read:
” Rajavi has expanded sexual relations with the female military, political and administrative ranks of the group. He also ordered the doctors to do hysterectomy surgery on some of them.
He noted that he has watched the films of the confessions of the women.
The second secretary of the American embassy mentioned that Rajavi sent the husbands to the deadly operations so as he can reach the wives and possess them in Napoleon’s way. In the existing documents in Ashraf you find out that some of the deaths in the group were not random but intentionally planned. In his long report William noted three cases of the planned deaths and wrote:
”the confessions of some of group members reveal that Rajavi was involved in 19 cases of death personally ordering the assassination.”
This American authority points out poisoning of the members and writes:
“Rajavi ordered the silent death, poisoning some friends or colleagues.
He added:
Now, it is clear for the US that MEK’s leader was involved in the suspicious death of his colleagues who were killed under his order but their death was reported falsely as the result of sickness or accident.
He continued mentioning that the forces of MEK are disappointed at the present time in Iraq and present no benefit to the US administration in the current Iraqi scene.
In a part of the report he writes:
Most of Mujahedin forces are suffering dangerous mental diseases and are likely to commit suicide or homicide.
Besides the Iraqi security authorities stressed that the Americans investigated some individuals who confessed that the MEK leader was involved in the assassination of Iranians residing abroad and some defectors of the group. To commit the assassinations, MKO enjoyed the assistance of embassies of the Saddam’s regime and his security organizations. 
(Camp Ashraf)
http://iran-interlink.org/index.php?mod=view&id=7870
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-03-16a.322053.h&s=ashraf#g322053.r0
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=6288
Monday, 20 April 2009
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Iraq: Mujahedin-e Khalq
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of alleged attacks on residents in Ashraf City by members of the Iraqi secret service; and if he will make a statement.
Bill Rammell (Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Harlow, Labour)
holding answer 20 March 2009
We are aware that such allegations have surfaced in the Iraqi media. We have discussed these allegations with the US, who retain a presence inside Camp Ashraf, and with the Iraqi government. We have seen no evidence to support the allegations.
Written answers
Monday, 20 April 2009
House of Lords
Iran
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that Camp Ashraf residents who are members of the People's Mujaheddin Organisation of Iran are not expelled to Iran by the Iraqi authorities; and what alternatives to that they have proposed through the United Nations.
Lord Malloch-Brown (Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Labour)
Responsibility for the security and administration of Camp Ashraf was transferred on 1 January 2009 from the US to the Iraqi authorities. Prior to this handover the US received assurances from the Iraqi authorities towards their clear commitment to the humane treatment and continued well-being of the camp residents. The US retains a presence at the camp in an advisory/monitoring capacity.
The Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights visits the camp and has delivered assurances to a representative body of the residents. The International Committee of the Red Cross follows developments at the camp closely and continues to visit. It also discusses on a confidential basis all of the issues surrounding the camp with the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) and the Iraqi and US authorities.
The UN High Commission for Refugees has previously determined that Camp Ashraf residents do not qualify as refugees. While there is no evidence to suggest that the Government of Iraq intend forcibly to relocate the residents, our Embassy in Baghdad has requested a call on the Ministry of Human Rights to make known the level of interest in this issue in the UK and to remind the Iraqi Government of their earlier assurances. Our Embassy in Baghdad is also pursuing the possibility of a visit to the camp by a consular official.
Written answers
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
House of Lords
Iraq
Lord King of West Bromwich (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Iraq to safeguard the human rights and safety of Iranian residents in Ashraf City; and with what results.
Lord Malloch-Brown (Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Labour)
The US held responsibility for the security and administration of Camp Ashraf until 1 January 2009. Responsibility was then transferred from the US to Iraqi authorities. The modalities of the transfer had been discussed by both sides with UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. Prior to the transfer, the US received assurances from the Iraqi authorities towards their clear commitment to the humane treatment and continued wellbeing of the camp residents. The US retains a presence at the camp in an advisory/monitoring capacity.
The Government of Iraq have stated that no Camp Ashraf residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution. The Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights visits the camp and has delivered assurances to a representative body of the residents. The International Committee of the Red Cross follows developments at the camp closely and continues to visit. It also discusses on a confidential basis all of the issues surrounding the camp with the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MeK) and the Iraqi and US authorities.
While no specific representations to the Government of Iraq have been made, our embassy in Baghdad has requested a call on the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to make known the level of interest in this issue in the UK and to remind the Iraqi Government of its earlier assurances. In addition to this, as stated by my honourable friend, Bill Rammell, Minister of State for the Middle East, during an adjournment debate in Westminster Hall on 25 March 2009 (Hansard, col. 90WH) "the British embassy in Baghdad is pursuing the possibility of a visit by a consular official to Camp Ashraf" to ascertain whether any of its residents might be entitled to consular assistance.
Library of the House of Commons
In brief: Camp Ashraf and the Geneva Conventions
Standard note: SN/IA/05022
Last updated: 20 March 2009
Author: Arabella Thorp
Section: International Affairs and Defence Section
What is Camp Ashraf ?
Ashraf is a settlement in Iraq’s Diyala province, near the border with Iran, which houses the headquarters of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) or Mujahideen-e-Khalq Organisation (MKO). The PMOI is the main body in the coalition of Iranian opposition groups known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by a number of states but has now been removed from the UK and EU lists of terrorist organisations. It sided with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, but following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 the PMOI surrendered to US forces and 3,800 PMOI members were disarmed and cantoned in Camp Ashraf. Some 370 have since been voluntarily repatriated to Iran , and in 2004 restrictions and controls were removed. The Iraqi government has stated its intention to close the camp and expel all PMOI personnel from Iraqi territory.
Who is responsible for the inhabitants of Ashraf?
The main responsibility to protect civilians lies with the states that have effective control over them. From 2003 until 31 December 2008 US forces protected Camp Ashraf. Then on 1 January 2009, control passed to the Iraqi Government, under the new US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. Both the US and Iraqi governments have given assurances that, within the framework of Iraqi national legislation, Ashraf residents will be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and with the principle of non-refoulement in particular. The UK considers the issue primarily a US rather than a UK responsibility.
What are the main concerns?
Lliving conditions at Ashraf are not generally a cause for concern, although an explosion damaged Ashraf’s water-supply station in February 2008. The main concern is that its inhabitants would be at risk of torture or other serious human rights violations if they were to be returned involuntarily to Iran. Iraq has reportedly given Ashraf’s inhabitants two options: return to Iran or find a third country for exile. Iraqi officials have however stated that PMOI members would not be forcibly repatriated to Iran and have called upon the international community to offer asylum to Ashraf’s occupants.
People who have left Camp Ashraf voluntarily have reported 'brain-washing', forced indoctrination and rough treatment by the PMOI of those who wanted to leave the camp.
This information is provided to Members of Parliament in support of their parliamentary duties and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. It should not be relied upon as being up to date; the law or policies may have changed since it was last updated; and it should not be relied upon as legal or professional advice or as a substitute for it. A suitably qualified professional should be consulted if specific advice or information is required. This information is provided subject to our general terms and conditions which are available online or may be provided on request in hard copy. Authors are available to discuss the content of this briefing with Members and their staff, but not with the general public.
Do the Geneva Conventions apply?
In July 2004, the PMOI forces in Ashraf were declared by the US to be ‘protected persons’ under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, because they had not been belligerents during the Iraq War. The Fourth Geneva Convention protects civilians who, as the result of an international armed conflict or of occupation, find themselves in the hands of a country of which they are not nationals. It states that in no circumstances shall a protected person be transferred to a country where he or she may have reason to fear persecution for his or her political opinions or religious beliefs.
In the case of occupied territory, the Convention continues to apply for a year after the general close of military operations, and partially thereafter if the occupying power continues to exercise the functions of government. The occupation of Iraq formally ended on 30 June 2004.
What other international law is relevant?
Under the international law principle of non-refoulement, no-one should be deported, expelled or repatriated if there is a real risk that they may be subjected to any kind of ill-treatment, or that they may face persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. The US has ratified international conventions embodying this principle (the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1984 UN Convention Against Torture), but Iraq has not. However, non-refoulement is widely recognised as a principle of customary international law that binds all states.
Further reading
Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), 5 March 2009 [available through the Parliamentary Intranet]
Juan-Pedro Schaerer, Iraq: ICRC activities in behalf of Iranian nationals living in Ashraf, 3 December 2008
Zouhair Al Hassani, ‘International humanitarian law and its implementation in Iraq ’, International Review of the Red Cross Vol. 90 No. 869, March 2008
Knut Dörmann and Laurent Colassis, ‘International Humanitarian Law in the Iraq Conflict’, German Yearbook of International Law 47 (2004), 293–342
International Committee of the Red Cross, Protected persons and property and international humanitarian law [viewed 20 March 2009]
Amnesty International, Iraq: No Iranians in need of protection should be sent to Iran against their will, 28 August 2008
Amnesty International, Security agreement puts 16,000 Iraqi detainees at risk of torture, 28 November 2008
Massoud Khodabandeh (former member of PMOI), Camp Ashraf: a test of US-Iraqi relations, 7 April 2008
Iran Interlink, Nejat Society Asks UK to Support Iraqi Government Plans for Camp Ashraf Victims, 11 December 2008
Hon. David Kilgour, J.D., ‘Catastrophe on horizon for Camp Ashraf refugees’, Middle East Times 8 October 2008
House of Lords debate, Iraq: Ashraf City, HL Deb 2 March 2009 cc504-6
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=797http://hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/iran0505/
No Exit
Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps 
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=7975
http://www.iran-interlink.org 
(Link to the Video file Part one, 100MB)
(Link to the Video file Part two, 100MB)
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=7882
http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?source=akbar&mlf=interpage&sid=99446
In a statement summarised by al-sabaah newspaper, Minister Salim said that the government is dealing with the residents of the camp in Diyala province, members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, in a humane fashion. The absence of any official documents in their files of applications for asylum is an indication of the illegality of their presence in Camp Ashraf. However, between 2003 until the end of 2009, 300 have left the camp of their own free will and returned to their own country.
Minister Salim said that delegations from the Human Rights Ministry visit the camp from time to time to review the conditions of its population in coordination with the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations. In less than a year, 36 people have asked to leave the camp under the direct supervision of the Ministry. They asked to return to Iran without any influence from government bodies and they were brought to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which took responsibility for them.
For decades the MKO have been in this camp and have not been regarded as refugees. Now neither the UNHCR nor the International Organization for Migration deal with them on that basis and refuse to cooperate with them. The Ministry has addressed these organisations formally more than once in order to lend a helping hand to them, but they always affirm in their responses that that the MKO is a military organization and has not demilitarized. They can only deal with them once they leave the camp and claim civilian protection.
Minister Salim explained that the laws and agreements on the protection of populations who seek protection on the grounds of suffering because of armed conflicts or war do not apply to them because they are not in a nation in war or conflict.
Minister Salim indicated that since the beginning of the SOFA with the United States which transferred responsibility for the camp from the Americans to the Iraqis, the legal situation has changed completely for them. In particular after review of the records and papers which exist, officials did not find any requests for asylum or protection or evidence that their presence is in any way legal.
Minister Sailm said that in general it is necessary to deal with them in a spirit of humanity and not to deport them to countries where they may be exposed to harm or torture, asserting that the Iraqi government has committed itself to this principle. She expressed surprise at their refusal to be moved to another location which provides services and care since they have not rented and nor do they own the land they currently occupy.
واشارت في تصريح خصت بـه( الصباح ) الى ان الحكومة تتعامل مع سكان المعسكر الواقع في محافظة ديالى من عناصر منظمة مجاهدي خلق الايرانية بشكل انساني على الرغم من عدم وجود وثائق رسمية ضمن ملفاتهم تحوي طلبات لجوء ما يؤشر عدم قانونية تواجدهم في معسكر اشرف ، مؤكدة تامين اخراج 300 منهم رغبوا بارادتهم الخاصة ترك المعسكر وتوزعوا بين لاجئين وعائدين الى بلادهم منذ عام 2003 لغاية نهاية عام 2009 .
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=6789
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG871/
(Camp Ashraf)
(Massoud and Maryam Rajavi the cult leaders)
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=6775
http://www.rand.org/news/press/2009/08/04/?ref=homepage&key=t_iraqi_mek_flags
(Massoud Rajavi and Saddam Hussein)
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG871.pdf