“Of increasing concern are the human rights abuses in Camp Hurriya itself by the camp leadership,”Kobler said.”Hundreds of daily monitoring reports suggest that the lives of Camp Hurriya members are tightly controlled.””A significant number of residents have reported to U.N. monitors that they are not free to leave the camp, to participate in the resettlement process…
The United Nations envoy to Iraq said Wednesday that residents of an Iranian dissident camp are denied freedom of movement by the exile group, and that efforts to relocate them outside Iraq are being stymied in part by lack of cooperation from the residents themselves.
Mr. Kobler said in addition to Albania, Germany has offered to relocate some 100 residents. The departure of the group from Iraq is in accordance with the memorandum of understanding of 25 December 2011, which foresees the relocation of the residents to third countries.
Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Martin Kobler expressed anger at the lack of cooperation of the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, NCRI and PMOI) in their resettlement and departure from Iraq.
Dear Mr Kobler, Following your remarks that the MEK, which has 3400 members in Camp Liberty in Iraq, does not cooperate with the international bodies to solve the problem of relocating the residents to third countries, we decided to raise some issues and questions along with some propositions and demands. What follows might …
Mr. Kobler also briefed AFET on UNAMI’s efforts to resettle the former residents of Camp Ashraf to third countries. He deplored the lack of cooperation of the residents and of their leadership with the UNHCR and UN monitors, and urged them to accept concrete resettlement offers. Stressing that “resettlement to safe countries is the only durable option”, he called again on …
The top United Nations official in Iraq today called the relocation of 14 Iranians to Albania from an exile camp near Baghdad, an “encouraging first step.” “The residents’ arrival in Albania late last night is an encouraging first step in the relocation of the group of 210 residents the Albanian government has agreed to receive,” said the UN Special Representative …
Camp Hurriya serves as a transit facility for more than 3,000 exiles, most of them members of a group known as the People’s Mojahedeen of Iran, where a process to determine their refugee status is being carried out by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). With the latest offer, 10 per cent of the camp’s residents now have offers to relocate to third countries. Mr. Kobler added that “this announcement also follows the Secretary-General’s repeated public and bilateral appeals …
The statement added that Mr. Ban “unequivocally supports” the efforts of his Special Representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, “to courageously and creatively, in exceptionally difficult circumstances, help resolve this situation.” .. He adds that the significant funds evidently spent on high-profile lobbying could be more usefully utilized to improve aspects of the humanitarian conditions often cited in media and lobbying campaigns …
At a meeting in Geneva today, the High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, discussed the process of resettling the residents of the camp to third countries and voiced their concern about their safety and security. “After the despicable attacks on Camp Liberty on 9 February, it is particularly important that we redouble our efforts to resettle the residents and find durable solutions for them outside Iraq as quickly as possible,” said Mr. Kobler…