Day 300 of State Department Sit-in: Iranian-Americans Call on Secretary Clinton to Delist the MEK, Protect Camp Ashraf Residents

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Friday, January 27, 2012, marks the 300th day of a sit-in across from the US Department of State by the families and supporters of Camp Ashraf residents.

The participants will be asking Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to revoke the unwarranted designation of the MEK based on the facts and law and as a necessary condition for safety and security of the residents of Camp Ashraf

3,400 members of Iran's principal opposition the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) and their families reside in Camp Ashraf. They have been formally recognized as "asylum seekers" by the United Nations since September 2011.

Following the April 2011 massacre at Camp Ashraf by Iraqi forces, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade revealed that, "In private discussions, the Iraqi ambassador's office has said the blood is not on the hands of the Iraqi government but is at least partially on the hands of the State department because the MEK is listed as a terrorist group and, accordingly, Iraq doesn't feel that it has to respect the human rights of those in the camp."

The H. RES 60, which has some 100 bi-partisan cosponsors, reiterates that "the FTO designation of the MEK has been used by Iranian surrogates in Iraq as well as the Nuri al-Maliki Government in Iraq to attack the MEK members in Camp Ashraf or impose inhumane restrictions on them, which has led to loss of life."

Meanwhile, officials in the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have told members of Congress that MEK's FTO designation has blocked the UN agency's efforts to find a safe haven outside of Iraq for Ashraf residents.

As Iraqi government continues to breach its agreement with the United Nations for a peaceful resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Camp Ashraf, time is running out to re-settle the residents in third countries.

The prompt and expeditious removal of MEK's FTO designation will enhance US efforts to better fulfill its moral and legal responsibilities for ensuring safety of Ashraf residents. It will also remove a major obstacle to the resettlement of the residents in other countries.

SOURCE US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents

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