Appeal to President Obama, First Lady and Mrs Clinton

Save lives of 1,000 Women in Camp Ashraf

The criminal attack carried out by Iraqi Security Forces on 28 July on Camp Ashraf, place of residence of 3,400 members of Iranian Resistance led to 10 deaths, 500 wounded and 36 abducted. One thousand of the residents who are all ‘Protected Persons’ under 4th Geneva Convention are women. The attack was coordinated by the terrorist Qods Force and the Iranian regime’s embassy in Baghdad. The pictures and video footage of the attack reflect the brutal violence used during the attack.

The Iraqi forces have set up stations in the Camp in order to further suppress Ashraf residents. The major threat is against the lives and dignity of women in the Camp. The Iraqis have been threatening women extensively with humiliation and sexual abuse. Using the most shameful threats they attempted to terrify these women, and even warned that they will massacre all the men in Ashraf so they could later invade the residence of the women.

Ashraf has become the strategic heart for the Resistance against ruling theocratic regime in Iran and in particular, 1,000 women in Ashraf who are mostly former political prisoners or students and graduates from universities in Iran, Europe and the US are the symbol of steadfastness and Resistance for the Iranian women.

The treatment of women in Ashraf by Nuri Maliki’s armed forces is, in the language of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, a blatant example of state violence against women.

US forces have in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and in violation of their international commitments, transferred security of Ashraf to Iraqi forces and abandoned their commitment to Ashraf.

To prevent further catastrophes, we, the undersigned organisations call on the US President Obama, the First Lady, Michael Obama and the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to immediately take measures to protect women in Ashraf against the threats of belligerent criminals.

1. The 36 residents of Ashraf who have been taken hostage must immediately be released and the Iraqi forces must leave Ashraf without delay;

2. The United States government must temporarily take over protection of Ashraf. Article 45 of the Fourth Geneva Convention requires the US to do so.

3. As a long-term solution, an international force led by the United Nations must assume protection of Ashraf. As a first step in that direction, a monitoring team must be deployed to supervise the situation in Ashraf.