Further information on UA: 242/13 Index: MDE 14/021/2013 Iraq Date: 19 November 2013
URGENT ACTION
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE14/021/2013/en/6e57266e-922a-4857-8ac8-e882e7fbb19e/mde140212013en.pdf
ABDUCTED IRANIAN EXILES IN IRAQI CUSTODY
The seven Iranian exiles abducted on 1 September are now known to be held by the Iraqi
security forces at an unofficial detention facility in central Baghdad. They are at risk of
torture and other ill-treatment and could be forcibly returned to Iran.
According to reliable sources, the seven were transferred under tight security to an unofficial detention facility in the
former al-Muthanna airport in central Baghdad at the end of September. The seven remain under investigation.
They are six women, Fatemeh Tahoori, Vajihe Karbalaey (aka Vajihe Karbalaey Fatah), Mahnaz Azizi (aka
Mahbobeh Lashkari), Lila Nabahat, Zahra Ramezani (aka Sedegh Ebrahimpour), Fatema Sakhie and a man,
Mohammad Ratebi (aka Mohsen Nicknamei). They are all members of the Iranian opposition group People’s
Mojahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI).
The seven Iranian exiles were abducted on 1 September 2013 from Camp Ashraf, about 60km north-east of
Baghdad in Diyala governorate, when armed men raided the camp and shot and killed 52 residents. Video footage
and photographs showed that many of the 52 had been shot in the head, some while handcuffed. Eyewitnesses
from the camp said they had seen the seven people in handcuffs, being beaten, thrown to the ground and then
taken away in a white minibus.
The Iraqi government has denied responsibility for the attack although Iraqi forces have been responsible for
previous attacks on the camp that left dozens of residents dead. On 1 September Iraq’s Prime Minister ordered that
a committee be set up to investigate the killings. However he gave no details of the committee's terms of reference
and composition. The results of the investigation have not been published.
Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:
Calling on the Iraqi authorities to release Fatemeh Tahoori, Vajihe Karbalaey, Mahnaz Azizi, Lila Nabahat,
Zahra Ramezani, Fatema Sakhie and Mohammad Ratebi unless they are charged with an internationally
recognizable criminal offence;
Urging them to immediately disclose their whereabouts and ensure that the seven people are protected from
torture and other ill-treatment and have access to a lawyer of their own choosing;
Urging them to publish the outcome of the investigation into the killing of the 52 residents of Camp Ashraf;
Reminding them of their obligations under international law not to forcibly return anyone to a country where they
would be at risk of serious human rights violations, including torture.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 31 DECEMBER 2013 TO:
Prime Minister
His Excellency Nuri Kamil al-Maliki,
Convention Centre (Qasr al-Ma’aridh)
Baghdad, Iraq
Email: info@pmo.iq (keep trying)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
Hassan al-Shammari
Ministry of Justice
Baghdad, Iraq
Contactable in Arabic via web site:
http://www.moj.gov.iq/complaints.php
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Minister of Human Rights
His Excellency Mohammad Shayaa al-
Sudani
Ministry of Human Rights
Baghdad, Iraq
Email: shakawa@humanrights.gov.iq
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 242/13. Further information:
http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE14/016/2013/en
URGENT ACTION
ABDUCTED IRANIAN EXILES IN IRAQI CUSTODY
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The residents of Camp Ashraf are members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), a group
opposed to the Iranian government and outlawed in Iran, which formerly engaged in armed action against the Iranian
government. Camp Ashraf previously housed some 3,400 Iranian exiles, mostly members and supporters of the PMOI, who
were allowed to move to Iraq by Saddam Hussain’s government in the 1980s.
After the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq the camp and its residents were placed under US protection but this ended in mid-
2009 following an agreement between the US authorities and the Iraqi government. Barely a month later, on 28-29 July, Iraqi
security forces stormed the camp; at least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six residents who were
detained were allegedly tortured and beaten.
Iraqi troops stormed Camp Ashraf again in April 2011. The troops used excessive force, including live ammunition, against
residents who tried to resist. At least 36 people were killed and more than 300 injured. The government failed to conduct a
prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into the incident, in breach of international standards, including the
UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions.
The Iraqi government announced in 2011 that they intended to close Camp Ashraf after relocating its residents to Camp Liberty
in Baghdad. After most had been relocated about 100 people were allowed to stay behind in Camp Ashraf to resolve remaining
property issues. Following the 1 September 2013 attack on the camp and killing of the 52 residents, the remaining 41 were
transferred to Camp Liberty under UN supervision.
According to a December 2011 memorandum of understanding between the UN and the government of Iraq, the UNHCR may
process requests for international protection from residents of the camps. Those residents who apply for international protection
are asylum-seekers under international law. So far around 2000 residents have been interviewed by UNHCR. However, many
residents have refused to be interviewed, citing security concerns. So far only around 210 residents have been resettled in third
countries, most in Albania.
Names: Fatemeh Tahoori (f), Vajihe Karbalaey (f), Mahnaz Azizi (f), Lila Nabahat (f), Zahra Ramezani (f), Fatema Sakhie (f), Mohammad
Ratebi (m)
Gender m/f: both
Further information on UA: 242/13 Index: MDE 14/021/2013 Issue Date: 19 November 2013
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