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 view of the UK Government is that with the formal end of hostilities and the transfer of responsibility for the camp to the Iraqi authorities, any claim to protected person status by the camp’s residents under the fourth Geneva Convention has ceased to apply. That view is shared by the United Nations. The camp[Ashraf] leadership have been given that information…
… 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 …
… Camp Ashraf is part of a sovereign and democratic Iraq and the situation there is a matter for the Government of Iraq. We regularly discuss Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Government, including with the Iraqi Prime Minister and Ministers for Human Rights, Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs. There is no link between the two issues …
Camp Ashraf is in a sovereign and democratic Iraq and the camp residents subject to its laws.. The UK is of the view that the residents of Camp Ashraf, as with all people in Iraq, enjoy rights and protections under the Iraqi constitution and applicable international obligations to which Iraq is a signatory. We do not consider that they have ‘protected persons’ status …
… The Iraqi authorities have said they intend to resettle all 36 to other countries once suitable arrangements are in place. They had been detained under a combination of charges related to the violence at the camp on 28 July 2009 and immigration violations …
Chief of Iran Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi criticized London’s policy towards Tehran saying it is not helpful for bilateral ties. ..Gass vowed he would do his best to remove the mistrust in Iranian public opinion towards Britain and added London does not consider the MKO an official organization and has no respect for it..Gass also emphasized Britain favors Iran’s right to access peaceful nuclear energy according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and believes it is necessary to continue talks to sort the nuclear issue properly.
As the stranglehold of increasingly draconian anti-terrorism laws takes hold in the UK, this briefing focuses on British policy regarding the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Oragnsiation also known as the MKO or MEK and under various other pseudonyms and acronyms..This briefing discusses the treatment of the MEK and its supporters and their actions, in light of the terrorism laws enacted in the UK and highlights not only the abuse of these laws ..
… Our view remains that the residents of Camp Ashraf are not entitled to ‘protected persons’ status as the Fourth Geneva Convention ceased to apply in Iraq after 28 June 2004, following the end of active hostilities and occupation … Our ambassador in Iraq has written to the Iraqi authorities to ask for a review into the recent events at the camp. Officials from our embassy in Baghdad are continuing to follow developments, and will shortly undertake a further visit to the camp.
I have no knowledge of intimidation in the manner that the noble Lord suggests..My Lords, the answer is already in the noble Lord’s question. Iraq is a democratic and independent sovereign state. The United Kingdom, and even the United States, which handed over control of the camp from 1 January, have to recognise that fact. However, that does not prevent us making representations, hence my invitation for any evidence.