Camp Liberty siege, obstructing clothing from getting to camp; breach of the Memorandum of Understanding between UN and Iraq

Call for putting an end to violation of the MoU that the United States and the European Union have supported and guaranteed

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran announced in a statement: On Thursday, 20 August 2015, the Iraqi forces associated with the governmental committee tasked to suppress Ashraf that is controlled by Faleh Fayad,  Iraqi National Security Advisor,obstructed clothes bought by residents to get into Camp Liberty. The Iraqi agents stated that they have been ordered to prevent clothes from getting into the camp. They stalled the vehicle carrying the clothes and returned it after a few hours without even inspecting the vehicle. Residents had informed UNAMI in advance of the purchase of the clothes and its delivery to Liberty.

Concurrently, intensification of Liberty’s siege and preventing residents’ basic necessities from getting into the camp is in its fourth week. During this time, the committee has prevented entry of items such as evaporative water cooler, insecticides, electric sockets, electric generator batteries, electric cables, stationeries (such as copybooks, pens and paper), spare parts for bicycles, vehicles, refrigerators, air-conditioners, water pumps, etc. that have been bought by the residents.

This repressive siege that is being imposed on Camp Liberty residents for four years is a flagrant violation of humanitarian and human rights standards and a serious breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Government of Iraq and the United Nations on 25 December 2011. The MoU that was endorsed and guaranteed by then U.S. Secretary of State and the EU High Representative and member states, stipulates: “The Government of the Republic of Iraq… ensures” that Camp Liberty “meet humanitarian and human rights standards” and “The Government shall facilitate and allow the residents, at their own expense, to enter into bilateral contact with contractors for provision of life support and utilities such as water, food, communications, sanitation, and maintenance and rehabilitation equipment.”

The Iranian Resistance calls on the U.S. government and the European Union and its member states to take immediate action to terminate the antihuman siege on Camp Liberty and to end the constant and systematic violation of the MoU.