A S Y L U M. P R O T E C T I O N. N O F O R C E D R E T U R N.

THESE ARE THE RIGHTS OF A REFUGEE.

…yet the Iraqi Government, and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq are
violating the human rights of Iranian refugees, and UNHCR-Iraq is complicit.
In the crackdown by the Islamic Republic regime in Iran that took
place after the June 2009 elections and subsequent popular uprising,
thousands of people in Iran have been imprisoned, tortured, raped,
and many have been killed. Amnesty International estimates that
5,000 people were detained in the post-election crackdown between
June and December 2009 alone, and more continue to be arrested –
and executed.

As a result of the brutality of the Islamic Republic regime over the

years, thousands of Iranians have fled, seeking refuge in other
countries. Many have fled to Iraq seeking refugee status so that they
could be given asylum in a third country. But instead of finding refuge and protection from one of the
most violent and repressive regimes in the world, they have found abuse and intimidation in Iraq, from
the Iraqi government, from agents of the Islamic Republic, and from UNHCR itself.

In violation of its own mandate, both the Iraqi government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) are
guilty of massive human rights violations against Iranian and other refugees in Iraq.
- The Iraqi government, especially the Kurdistan Regional Government, illegally deports Iranian
refugees back to Iran, where they will be detained, tortured, and possibly executed.
- Iranian refugees, including minors, are being imprisoned in Iraqi jails and tortured by Iranian
consular staff that maintain offices there. UNHCR is aware of this, but nothing is done.
- The Iraqi military has attacked and killed unarmed civilian refugees in Camp Ashraf.
- UNHCR verbally abuses Iranian refugees, sometimes refusing to register them, which leaves
them vulnerable to arrest, imprisonment and deportation by the Iraqi government

Both the Iraqi government and UNHCR-Iraq refuse to follow international refugee law. The UNHCR
remains silent – some even allege complicity – while Iranian refugees are abused by authorities of both
the Iraqi and Iranian regimes.

The Iraqi government and UNHCR’s unremitting violations of the human rights of Iranian refugees
results either in their being forced back into the grasp of the Islamic Republic regime, which wants to
imprison, torture and even execute them, or requires that the asylum-seeker and their family live
without rights of any kind in Iraq for years awaiting their status. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

MISSION FREE IRAN - http://missionfreeiran.org

We ask concerned citizens around the world to write to the Iraqi government and to the UN Refugee
Agency in Geneva to demand immediate intervention in the situation in Iraq for Iranians who have fled
the brutal and inhuman Islamic regime in Iran, and for all refugees whose human rights include a right
to asylum and protection. A sample letter is provided, along with email addresses:

MAIL TO:
Iraqi Embassy to the United States: info@iraqiembassy.us
Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: guterres@unhcr.org
Rana Ksaifi, UNHCR Staff responsible for Northern Iraq: ksaifi@unhcr.org

To Nouri al-Maliki and Masoud Barzani:

I am writing to you to express my grave concern over the Iraqi government’s violations of the
fundamental human rights of Iranian refugees who have fled the Islamic Republic regime.

It is clear to that the Islamic Republic has been given a free hand in Iraq to both directly and
indirectly – using the resources of the Iraqi government – harass, torture, and illegally deport
Iranian refugees, particularly those who have protested against the Islamic Republic while they
have been living in Iraq. The Iraqi government has militarily attacked defenseless Iranian
refugees in Camp Ashraf. All of these actions are illegal under international law.

At the same time, UNHCR refuses to meaningfully engage in processing asylum applications for
Iranian refugees, living conditions for refugees are untenable, and we receive report after
report that UNHCR staff are threatening and psychologically abusing Iranian refugees who
have fled for their lives to Iraq.

I do not accept these violations of the rights of Iranian refugees and I therefore make the
following demands:

1.The Iraqi government, including the Kurdistan Regional Government, must immediately cease
collaboration with the Islamic Republic in its persecution of Iranian refugees in Iraq.
2. Deportations of Iranian refugees must cease immediately.
3. The rights of Iranian refugees must be recognized and respected by both UNHCR and the
government responsible in Iraq.

Sincerely,
[your name]

MISSION FREE IRAN - http://missionfreeiran.org