The International Committee in Search of Justice expresses its profound concern over yesterday's remarks made by the clerical dictatorship's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his meeting with the Iraqi president and strongly condemns his pressure on the Iraqi government to expel the residents of Ashraf and pave the way for a humanitarian catastrophe. ISJ calls on the US administration to take necessary measures to guarantee the protection of Ashraf residents.

He told President Talabani in a threatening tone: "… The occupation forces must leave Iraq promptly… The mutual agreement regarding the expulsion of the Mojahedin from Iraq…must be implemented and we are waiting for it." He added:" The Mojahedin are the source of trouble and corruption” and “the EU’s decision [to remove the PMOI from the terror list] showed that being a terrorist or not in the view of the West, is an arbitrary matter and does not correlate with the realities.” He complained that the European countries do not agree with the transfer of Ashraf residents to Europe (State-run Radio and Television, media and news agencies, February 28, 2009).

ISJ reminds that these threatening remarks to the Iraqi President by Ali Khamenei, leave no doubt that the expulsion of PMOI and closure of Ashraf is only the demand of the mullahs and a part of their two pronged strategy for destroying the Iranian opposition on one hand and expanding and completing their influence in Iraq at the same time. Based on this strategy, Ashraf should be closed down, American forces should leave Iraq promptly and a proxy Islamic regime set up in that country.

Khamenei, frustrated and alarmed by the removal of PMOI from EU’s terrorist list has now personally come to the scene aiming to pursue its illegitimate and expansionist demands by putting pressure on the Iraqi government.

The Vice President of the European Parliament and President of ISJ warned in a letter to the US President and other US officials, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant international officials and organs about open interferences of the Iranian regime in Iraq and plots against Ashraf residents. He also urged them to intervene immediately in compliance with the International Humanitarian Law, international law, principle of non-refoulment and Responsibility to Protect (RtoP), and adopt necessary measures to safeguard the protection of the residents of Ashraf.

International Committee in Search of Justice
Brussels, 2 March 2009