On Monday 4 July at 20.30 local time, in time with the breaking the fast in the month of Ramadan, Camp Liberty near Baghdad, where hundreds of
Iranian opposition refugees are residing, was target of a large-scale terrorist attack.
A barrage of some 50 rockets hit the camp and its surrounding and destroyed much of the residential area infrastructures. At least 50 residents suffered injuries in the blasts.
This was the latest in the series of deadly rocket attacks that have targeted Camp Liberty since the transfer of the defenseless Iranian opposition members from Ashraf four years ago. The UN, EU and US had requested this transfer and are thus responsible for their security, especially the United States which gave written guarantees to each individual member of this camp, members of the main Iranian opposition PMOI, that they would be protected until the last individual is transferred to safe countries.
As Liberty is situated in a high-security zone adjacent to the Baghdad airport, it is clear that those who carry out these systematic terrorist attacks without ever being stopped, caught or brought to justice, are fully supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its terrorist Quds force that is de facto controlling Iraqi security forces and the Shiite militias.
The timing of this attack, intended to take maximum number of lives, only days before the major gathering of the Iranian opposition NCRI in Paris on 9th of July, is another confirmation that the Iranian regime is extremely desperate and worried about the growing support for the democratic opposition. It is an unintentional acknowledgment of the strength and efficiency of the only organized and most powerful alternative to the ruling theocracy.
We call on United States, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the European External Action Service to live up to their responsibility and force Iraq to end the current inhuman medical, food and fuel blockade that has been imposed on the residents for the past nine days, and to guarantee the safety and security of all Camp Liberty residents until their departure to safe countries.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
President, International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
Former Vice-president of the European Parliament (1999-2014)
