United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees,
We, the under signed former members of Mujahedeen Khalgh (OMPI) who are currently residing in Europe wish to share our concerns about the violation of the protected person’s rights with you.
As individuals with years of knowledge and experience about the oppressive means of this organization’s leadership, we are writing to you to draw your attention to the situation of those members still kept at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Once again, in the past few days, the leadership used illogical and baseless excuses to prevent the meeting of those concerned families who came to the gates of Camp Liberty hoping to meet with their loved ones after, in cases, many decades. Unfortunately, they were denied any contact with their family members.
Many of us have been in this organization, before being able to find a way out of it, for decades. We are fully aware of the brainwashing and intimidation activities that take place at every level with the single aim of isolating the members from the outside world and feeding them false information and targeted propaganda to turn them against their own families.
Based on our personal experience, we assure you that if you facilitate the meeting of the members with their families in a protected and private space, without the presence of their superiors, they will find the courage to express their true desire that is to join their families and relocate from Iraq.
In our many years as part of this organization we have never witnessed any election or another means of member participation in the process of decision making or appointments. Ordinary members are not in the position of sharing their opinions or being involved in any decision, even about their own situation. In this organization, no one dares to express his/her true opinion and those who pretend to represent members are actually appointed by the leadership and their role is to pass the leadership’s agenda as the will of the members to you or any other authorities.
Considering all the facts and the grim condition of the Camp and its residents, we urge you to contact each individual personally oppose to listening to their so called “representatives”. It is the basic right of every citizen in a free society, even in prisons, and should not be denied to these individuals kept under UNHCR’s care.
The situation in Camp Liberty is not safe or sustainable. We urge you to stop talking to those who have taken these individuals hostage for so long and recognize the rights of these individuals in making their own decisions apart from the negative propaganda and intimidation of the leadership.
It is critical that UNHCR acts immediately before another catastrophic attack takes more lives.
Respectfully,
Faryad Azadi Association
Peyvand Rahaee Association
Yaran iran Association