Evidence of meeting #17 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was attack.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
In your opinion, what can be done about Camp Ashraf and its residents? Are its residents in immediate danger? If so, what can the international community do to protect them?
As an Individual
Camp Ashraf residents are in danger. Even today, as we are sitting here, we don't know what's going on at the grounds there.
But there's a lot that the international community can do. First of all, it can strongly tell Maliki's government to stop the deadline to allow the United Nations blue helmets to come in, to allow U.S. forces to have protection of the camp, and to allow the UNHCR to start its process, so they can be granted refugee status in any other country they want to go to. Secondly, the international community should tell Maliki that it's unacceptable, that the two massacres that went on in the past and another massacre are absolutely unacceptable.
Conservative
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Who took the video that you were showing us? Wasn't that person stopped from taking the video at that time?
As an Individual
The person who took that video was Asieh Rakhshani. She was raised in the United States. She was filming the scene, and she was shot and killed.
Conservative
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
She was killed.
Mr. Chair, do I have some more time? I'll pass to Mr. Lunney.
Conservative
James Lunney Conservative Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
We have about 3,400 inhabitants still out in Camp Ashraf, is that about right--
Conservative
James Lunney Conservative Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
--whose lives may be very severely imperiled if Iraq proceeds to dismantle the camp without UN supervision or some kind of agreement.
Have you had any recent contact with people still in the camp to be able to ascertain their feelings right now? Is there a sense of desperation? Are there other negotiations going on that you're aware of?
As an Individual
Just what I've heard through the news.
Desperation? I think everyone is worried. Nobody doubts that another attack will happen.
Conservative
James Lunney Conservative Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
I guess I'm going back to the situation about the cooperation you're describing as Iranian secret service, I think was the term you used, were cooperating with putting those speakers up around the camp. That's the first I've heard of this. It would seem to me this would be something the international community might take note of, and it should be easy to verify from other sources. It would certainly indicate the risk the residents are facing.
Are there published reports on this you could refer to somewhere?
As an Individual
Yes. I can give you the YouTube videos of what they say, what kinds of threats they blare. I could also give you statements of many European personalities--Mr. Quadras.... Many people have opposed these loud speakers and have asked for them to be removed. I can give these to you.
Conservative
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Chair, thank you for letting me speak even though I am not a member of this committee. I am sitting in for my colleague Ève.
I want to start by praising Elham Zanjani for being brave enough to leave Iraq and come testify in person. I have been to Iraq as a doctor in the past. It was during the first Gulf War, in 1981. On the ground, I witnessed all the negative effects such a war can have on a population, unfortunately. I should point out that, in a war, with confusion reigning, there are no religious distinctions: people get carried away and fire indiscriminately out of wariness and fear.
I would say that our witness today is a survivor of that tragedy. The attacks on this camp have been referred to as a massacre several times. I am especially concerned about the human aspect. We must try to protect the people who I find are caught between a rock and a hard place. All those people are hoping for is more democracy, more freedom, but they unfortunately find themselves outmatched by the local political authorities.
I have some information that worries me, as a doctor. The following statements are not my own; they come from reports. Here is what was said:
In an April 2011 report, Amnesty International states that due to restrictions imposed by the Iraqi government, “Camp Ashraf's medical facility does not have adequate medicines or equipment”. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) believes that the prevailing camp conditions cannot ensure the treatment [...]
There was also mention of applications for refugee status, and so on. I am more concerned by the situation in that camp—if only from the humanitarian point of view—then by the reasons for its creation.
The United States had recognized the protected person status under the Geneva Convention. So why, after it leaves, is it transferring everything to the Iraqi authorities, when everybody knows that the country is unstable and its safety is not ensured? How can anyone believe that those people will be safe? This is a matter of logic.
My colleague asked why white helmets and not blue helmets were on the ground, and I am wondering the same thing. The least that should be done is ensuring those people's safety and rights. We know that, in a war, people are tortured and subjected to physical violence and rape. Oppressors will do whatever it takes to spread terror and, eventually, get people to stop fighting for their rights.
Ms. Elham, I would like to know what you expect from Canada. What do you think Canada should do to help those people?
As an Individual
Thank you very much, madam.
I do speak French, but I have not used it in a long time. It would be easier for me to speak in English.
NDP
As an Individual
I thank you for your questions.
About your first question, about the medical blockade, I don't know what more I can tell you. Everything stopped from 2009. We could not go to see doctors, the ones we wanted to. People died from lack of kidney transplants, from cancer, from simple MS because of no medication, because they did not provide it to us and they just bothered us throughout the period.
There was a hospital that we offered to the Iraqis, but that hospital was not a hospital. It was more like a prison, because the doctor there, whose name was Omar Khaled, was not a doctor. Under physician's oath, he did not treat patients as patients. People would come in, for example, with cancer. Someone who was suffering from cancer they would not help. As I said, my friend's oxygen.... Oxygen is the minimum thing. So people suffered and died. Just before I came out, one of the residents died of MS. He could have had treatment.
About your second question, about what Canada can do, I really thank your committee for what you've done up to now. I think it's very heart-warming, and it's very important what you are doing. I believe Camp Ashraf residents appreciate all your efforts. I thank you. I don't know how much I can tell you.
But there is more that we can do. As I said, time is running out. We can tell the al-Maliki government to stop. Just make him stop. Tell him that if another massacre occurs, he's responsible--because he is.
Allow the UNHCR to do its process, to meet with the people there, and allow the people to come out of the camp. Allow the people to survive.
Also, perhaps Canada can offer military support so the UNHCR can start its process. I don't know. There are a lot of things we can do, a lot of things we can suggest, but we have to take action now, because it's really too late--I mean, 15 days.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
No, I was not asking for the floor, other than the comment I made earlier about the committee giving some consideration to any further action we might recommend. Perhaps we could have an in camera discussion on that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
We could do that. We'd have to dismiss our witnesses.
Let's see how we'll do this. Mr. Marston is recommending that we go in camera. That's a non-debatable motion. Is that agreeable to the members?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
All right, so we'll go in camera. We're going to need a moment.
Unfortunately, that means we have to ask everybody who is not either a member or a staffer to leave the room. There is a problem, of course. You have a computer that's yours that you'll want to take, so.... Oh, it's ours, is it? All right.
In the interest of time, I will ask the folks to step outside so we can carry on. We have to be pretty quick, because we have question period coming up.
There is one other thing I should wrap up before we go in camera.
I do want to say, Ms. Zanjani, I very much appreciate your coming here, your openness and your honesty. I can imagine how difficult it is for you to come and talk about this sort of thing, but how important it is as well. We are very grateful that you were able to do so today, and we thank you very much for what you did.
As an Individual
I'll say again, I really thank you for all you've done, and I thank you for your support. It's a humanitarian issue. We have to save lives. I really thank you for your concern.
Thank you.