Nejat Association, London, December 17, 2008 –The British government should
support Iraqi plan for Camp Ashraf detainees
Nejat Society delegation met in the House of Lords with Baroness Neville-Jones, Shadow Security Minister and National Security Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition.
Baroness Neville-Jones welcomed the group warmly and spoke of her admiration for their courage.
The Nejat delegation described in detail the problems faced by the captives in Camp Ashraf. They explained that the MKO members have been trapped in the camp by the Rajavis who demand total obedience. Infringements of the draconian conditions which the Rajavis have imposed upon all the members is harshly punished. As a result there is a high rate of suicide in the MKO.
The delegation reported that MKO members who had escaped Camp Ashraf by taking refuge with the American army in a separate camp adjacent to the MKO’s military/ideological training base, had reached European countries with disturbing descriptions of the current conditions for members.
MKO members have been subjected to strict gender segregation for many years. A more disturbing development in the story of cult manipulation and exploitation is now being reported by those who more recently left the camp. They say that around ten percent of the women have undergone spurious hysterectomies. This is being promoted as a value by Maryam Rajavi – who purports to support women’s emancipation – as a way for women to rid themselves of the desire to have children.
For this reason, Nejat Society is asking that doctors and humanitarian agencies as well as the families of those trapped in Camp Ashraf be granted free and unfettered access to individual members as soon as possible in order to ascertain their wellbeing.
Baroness Neville-Jones expressed her sympathy for Nejat Society’s work toward finding a humanitarian solution to the problem posed by Camp Ashraf to the Iraqi government.
Nejat Society said that the British government should by urged to support the Iraqi position toward the MKO. The Iraqi government has said the MKO will be given three choices.
1. To voluntarily repatriate to Iran under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies. No forced repatriations will take place.
2. To remove to another third country which is willing to accept them.
3. To stay in Iraq they would need to leave Camp Ashraf, take off their military uniforms and find paid employment and housing as a regular citizen of the country.
Report by Iran-Interlink