Iran – 36 abductees remain in captivity, announce dry hunger strike

June 28 Attack on Ashraf by Iraqi forces
June 28 Attack on Ashraf by Iraqi forces

Stop Fundamentalism, 27 September – The National Council of Resistance of Iran, NCRI, released a statement today about 36 Mojahedin members who have been in captivity of the Iraqi forces for the past two month. 

June 28 Attack on Ashraf by Iraqi forcesNCRI explained that while an Iraqi judge for the third time has vindicated them from all charges and ordered their release, the Iraqi police still refuse to let them free.

The detainees were taken in custody by Iraqi police during a raid on an Iranian refugee camp on June 28 in which 11 members of the camp were killed and over 500 wounded.  Videos of the raid that show Iraqi police using chains, axes, and bulldozers to attack the unarmed civilians of this camp were distributed on YouTube and outraged the international community.

On today’s statement, the NCRI called on the US forces in Iraq to immediately take back the 36 Ashraf residents kept without any justification.
 
Amnesty international also release a statement today, calling on the Nuri Al-Maliki government to unconditionally release the detainees.

Residents of camp Ashraf were declared to be “Protected Persons” under United Nations Fourth Geneva Conventions after the Iraq war.  According to these conventions any harm to them or their forced repatriation to Iran would be considered a war crime.

NCRI has reported that the 36 captives who were on their 64th day of hunger strike have now announced they will start a “dry” hunger strike meaning they will not even take liquids any more.