… We the families of Mojahedin Khalq hostages, who are picketing outside Camp Ashraf, are worried and concerned about the physical wellbeing of our children. We are especially worried about the list of 53 of these captives which has been announced by the Mojahedin Khalq leaders with the claim that they have signed a letter refusing to meet their families and parents! No-one has seen or heard from these 53 captives. How do we know these are genuine? …
… During the past three months the families of the captured members in the New Camp Iraq (ex-Ashraf) have arrived from different countries to meet their children after years of ignorance and have gathered in front the door of this camp. This organization has prevented the reunion to take place and they have cleared conditions that if such entry takes place their commander must be presence during this meeting …
… The paper said that about three thousand men live at Camp Ashraf, called Camp New Iraq by the Iraqi authorities, and over 70% of them are over fifty years old. It is not clear what can be done with them. Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to people who have recently escaped from the camp. They spoke of the terrible conditions there, and said that anyone wanting to leave was severely punished, even tortured …
Since the invasion of coalition forces and the fall of Saddam Hussein a large number of Ashraf residents defected from the group, returned to Iran or went to Europe where some of them succeeded to reveal the nature of MKO in european organizations such as European Parliament. This kind of consequence of MEK members’ defection caused the cult’s leaders a strong feeling of fear which has turned in to a phobia. For MKO’s leader Massoud Rajavi, a good critic is a dead critic. ..
… 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 …
On February 9th, 2010 in a debate in the House of Lords of the UK Parliament on the case of Camp Ashraf, Iraq, Barroness Falkoner of Margavine asked her colleague if the Minister will confirm that these people are not non-protected persons under the Geneva Convention. Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead responded [to] the question by insisting that”any claim to protected persons status by Camp Ashraf residents under the Fourth Geneva Convention has ceased to apply.
… Iran-Interlink did, however, record some film that day, which will be broadcast in due course. This film will first be presented to the UN office, the Iraqi Judiciary and relevant human rights organisations.The knife wielding Mojahed woman has been identified and the families concerned are already in the process of submitting a law suit against her …
… like all the families at the gates of the camp Ashraf[MKO/MEK/PMOI Camp], she says she will not return home until she sees her son.”My first wish is to see him once more and my next wish is to release him from the clutches of Rajavi and his henchmen”, she said …
… Government of Iraq would deal with the residents of the camp Ashraf [PMOI/MEK/MKO] 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 …
… The refusal of the MKO to allow family interviews between those who came from Iran to Iraq to meet with their children is a violation of divine laws and international laws recognized all over the world.Iraq’s Senate confirmed that the MKO organization is not welcome in Iraq, especially because terrorist acts