Voice of America TV, December 15, 2008 – An event that is going on in Washington D.C. is the sit-in of the families and relatives of the PMOI members who live in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Some concerns emerged following the Baghdad-Washington security pact and handing over this camp to the Iraqi government. Mr. Nasser Rashidi, the spokesman of the National Coalition of Pro-Democracy Advocates in Washington, is with us on line.
Nasser Rashidi: “The main and foremost demand of the sit-in participants since the first day, September 12th, either outside of the U.N. or here, has been that the citizens of Ashraf City have the status of protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and so long as the U.S. forces stay in Iraq, which has been agreed with the Iraqi government to be up to 2011, the U.S. must provide their protection and their judiciary security must be respected. Such protection is not transferable and should not be transferred. The main problem and concern, of course, is the Iranian regime and the threat this regime poses against its main opposition whose main body is based at Ashraf city”.
Nasser Rashidi added: “Close to 35 religious leaders and human rights organizations’ officials and non-governmental organizations affiliated to the United Nations have delivered speeches in this sit-in. Nearly 190 religious leaders from different religious branches including Christians, Jews and leaders of women and human rights organizations from across the US have sent solidarity messages and supported the sit-in participants. The senior member of US Congress Committee of Foreign Affairs, Tom Tancredo, and senior member of Congress Bob Filner who are the chairmen of parliamentary group of human rights for Iran have also delivered their speeches in the sit-in.’
