HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

Oxford Indymedia

Photo- London Rally for human rights demands release of 36 Iranian refugees

Azad Irani | 31.08.2009 01:18 | Iraq | Repression | Terror War | World

London Rally for human rights demands release of 36 detained Camp Ashraf residents
Hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the US Embassy in London on day 33 of a hunger strike by a dozen Iranians who are calling on the US authorities to prevent a further massacre of their relatives at Camp Ashraf, Iraq.

London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf
London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf

Martha-Jean-Baker - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf
Martha-Jean-Baker - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf

Jonathan-Fryer-Ashraf - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf
Jonathan-Fryer-Ashraf - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf

Lady Slynn - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf
Lady Slynn - London Rally to save lives iranian dissidents in Ashraf

John-Cowan-Ashraf-Iran
John-Cowan-Ashraf-Iran

hunger-strike-london-Ashraf
hunger-strike-london-Ashraf

Ashraf-camp-Iraq-Iran-Raid
Ashraf-camp-Iraq-Iran-Raid


Following a judgment Monday by an Iraqi court ordering the release of 36 detained Camp Ashraf residents who were abducted following a savage attack by Iraqi forces against a group of 3,400 unarmed Iranian refugees, the demonstrators called on US authorities to now immediately intervene and initiate the release of the 36 residents who are illegally in detention.

Proceedings began with a speech by Martha Jean Baker who spoke from her position as a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Mrs Baker said, “What happened on the afternoon of 28 July to unarmed men and women in the confines of a refugee camp was nothing short of a crime against humanity”. She further called on the US and UK governments alongside the UN to intervene immediately to prevent further such criminal acts.


Next Jonathan Fryer, Liberal Democrat candidate for European Parliamentary elections, added his support to the demonstration stating, “The US authorities have a duty to intervene and protect the Camp Ashraf residents.” Mr Fryer congratulated the bravery of the hunger strikers and announced his belief that 30 years of struggle in Iran will succeed.
The demonstrators then proceeded to a local church where a ceremony of prayers and candle-lighting took place. Prayers were held for the 36 detained residents as well as the hunger strikers.

On their return to the US embassy, Lady Slynn, wife of the late Lord Slynn of Hadley whose efforts guaranteed the ‘protected persons’ status of the Camp Ashraf residents, addressed the crowd. In a message to the US and UK authorities Lady Slynn stated, “Is this why you went to war in Iraq? To bring to power a dictatorial regime that gets its orders from the mullahs in Iran.”
Lord Clarke of Hampstead in a statement to the demonstration said, “The United Nations now alongside the US and UK authorities have a duty to bring about the immediate release of the detainees and initiate their return to Camp Ashraf.”

Mr John Cowan, Labour parliamentary candidate for southeast Cambridgeshire, reiterated the demands of the demonstrators in stating that, “The United Nations must set up an immediate and full-time presence within Camp Ashraf to guarantee the safety of the unarmed residents.”
Rev. O’Halpin told the gathering: “The people of Ashraf have been struggling for freedom and equality. ... Those who are guilty of crimes against the people in Ashraf must be brought to justice. Proper protection must be given to the people in Ashraf”.
In conclusion, the demonstrators held a candle-lit vigil around Grosvenor Square in remembrance of the Camp residents who lost their lives and the 36 detained residents whose lives are in imminent danger following the continuation of a 33-day hunger strike.

The demands of the hunger strikers:
1. Iraq must immediately release the 36 people taken hostage and withdraw its forces from Camp Ashraf.
2. A UN-designated international force must take up protection of Ashraf residents, and UNAMI must urgently station a team of monitors in the camp.
3. US forces must temporarily assume protection of Ashraf until a UN-designated force can be established there.

Background
On July 28-30, Iraqi forces mounted an attack on Camp Ashraf, a refugee camp housing 3,400 unarmed civilians of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). The Iraqis killed 11 people, injured 500, and kidnapped and tortured 36 others. Footage shows Iraqi police beating defenceless people with electric batons, metal bars, planks of wood, daggers, axes, sound grenades, water cannons, and live ammunition and running some of them over with armoured vehicles.


Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Law Society, the Bar Human Rights Committee, Lawyers Without Border, the World Organisation Against Torture, the International Federation of Human Rights and other leading NGOs have strongly condemned the massacre. See this link for footage of the Iraqi police’s crime against humanity at Camp Ashraf:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CJxMaN4C4A (7 minutes)

Azad Irani
- e-mail: azad@free-iran.com
- Homepage: http://www.free-iran.com

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Publish your news

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Oxford Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Oxford Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Oxford Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Oxford Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech