Lawyers, Human Rights Experts Urge President Obama to Save the 36 Abducted Residents of Ashraf

Lawyers, Human Rights Experts Urge President Obama to Save the 36 Abducted
Residents of Ashraf

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a press conference today,
international law and human rights experts urged President Obama to intervene
immediately to save the lives of 36 Ashraf residents taken hostage by the
Iraqi forces and end the humanitarian crisis in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

The panelists expressed outrage that despite the third ruling by an Iraqi
Court to have the 36 individuals released, the Iraqi government has refused to
abide by the verdict of its own judiciary.

Steven Schneebaum, U.S. Counsel for the families of Camp Ashraf, said in his
remarks, "Principles of humanitarian and human rights law make it clear that
no state is allowed to hold individuals without charge when the person has not
committed a crime. Under international law it is obligatory that they be
released. The Iraqi Government is clearly violating international law and
President Obama must make it clear to the Iraqis that they should obey the
same set of legal principles that every other civilized country across globe
is required to obey."

Bruce McColm, President of Institute for Democratic Strategies and former
Executive Director of Freedom House, added, "The fact that the Iraqi
government has refused to implement the judgment of its own judiciary
demonstrates that it is doing Tehran's bidding. Let there be no doubt that the
responsibility for the safety and well being of these hostages and those on
hunger strike around the world rests squarely with the Iraqi Prime Minister."

Hamid Goudarzi, a senior engineering researcher from San Antonio, Texas, on a
hunger strike for 62 days outside the White House, emphasized, "The State
Department claims Iraq was exercising its sovereignty when it attacked Camp
Ashraf. What kind of sovereignty is this? The court has ruled three times to
release the 36 hostages, but the Prime Minister has intervened to prevent
that. I have been sitting in front of the White House for past 62 days and the
administration has done nothing. We will stand here as long as it takes."

The 36 hostages were abducted during the July 28-29 deadly assault on Camp
Ashraf by 2,200 Iraqi security forces, in which 11 residents were killed and
nearly 500 were wounded. Ashraf is home to 3,400 members of Iran's main
opposition the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI/MEK) and their families.

SOURCE U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents

Majid Roshan, US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents, +1-202-640-1947