and had been deeply impressed by the residents. They were given complete freedom to interview anyone they wished, and prepared detailed reports on their visits when they returned to Brussels. Their reports rubbished the scare stories and smears being circulated by Tehran. Unfortunately, with the encouragement of the Iraqi authorities, these stories had gained some purchase amongst the diplomatic community in Baghdad and had even contaminated views amongst UNHCR and UNAMI staff.
18
Interviews with PMOI Refugees Camp Liberty, August 2014
The Medical Siege of Camp Ashraf
Hassan Habibi
‘My name is Hassan Habibi. I am 48 years old and I am an electrical engineer. I came to Camp Ashraf in 1983. In 2003 after signing the agreement with the Americans, the protection of Ashraf became the responsibility of the US forces. Despite our objections, in 2009 the US transferred the protection of Ashraf to the Iraqis. It was obvious to us that the Iraqi forces were under the influence of the Iranian regime and were planning to close Ashraf and return the residents to Iran where they would face torture and execution. The Iraqi government besieged us and imposed a medical siege on the camp.
Subsequently the Iranian regime’s agents, along with Iraqi forces, attacked the camp using armoured Humvees firing indiscriminately on the unarmed residents. On 28 July 2009, I was run over by one of these armoured Humvees, which left me severely wounded and unconscious. I suffered a broken pelvis fractured in four different places and a ruptured spleen. The ambulance that came for me was also riddled with bullets.
When I regained consciousness at Ashraf clinic I saw hundreds of wounded there. There was no room left and people were forced to lie on the floor. Even then the Iraqi forces would not allow anyone to leave the camp for treatment or allow Iraqi physicians to enter. After two days a group of American physicians who resided at the adjacent camp were allowed to visit us and they transferred eight of the critically wounded people, including myself, to Ballad hospital for treatment. Because of the delay in medical care, Alireza Ahmad Khah who was also wounded in his pelvis, passed away. He was lying beside me in a Humvee belonging to the American forces and he passed away as we were leaving Ashraf.
Another example was Siavoosh Nezamal Molki whose head was smashed by the Iraqis using a bat, causing a brain aneurism. He lost his life because of the delay in providing treatment. I was at the American forces’ hospital for a month and a half, but they did not perform the internal surgeries I needed. They told me that I had to wait till January 2010 and they returned me to the camp. The National Council of Resistance issued a statement saying that they were willing to pay the expenses for the operations and would even send skilled physicians to Iraq to perform the surgeries or have me transferred out of Iraq for the operation, but none of these proposals were accepted.
Finally, in February 2011 when a mission from Geneva came to visit the camp and had asked to visit some of the wounded and injured, I was one of the people whom they met. After that I was able to leave the camp and go to Erbil in northern Iraq for my much-needed surgery. But the doctors in Erbil told me that because of the prolonged delay there was nothing they could do for me. I was returned to the camp with a Foley catheter stuck to my bladder. The medical siege has left me with a shortened leg and limited mobility. I am unable to lift anything. I have to live with a Foley catheter in my stomach for the rest of my life.
This situation is still going on in Camp Liberty and the residents have to go through the same ordeal trying to see a doctor or a specialist. They are not allowed to see a private doctor or go to a private clinic even considering the situation in Iraq; the public health facilities have a very low standard of care and hygiene due to a high number of patients.
18
Interviews with PMOI Refugees Camp Liberty, August 2014
The Medical Siege of Camp Ashraf
Hassan Habibi
‘My name is Hassan Habibi. I am 48 years old and I am an electrical engineer. I came to Camp Ashraf in 1983. In 2003 after signing the agreement with the Americans, the protection of Ashraf became the responsibility of the US forces. Despite our objections, in 2009 the US transferred the protection of Ashraf to the Iraqis. It was obvious to us that the Iraqi forces were under the influence of the Iranian regime and were planning to close Ashraf and return the residents to Iran where they would face torture and execution. The Iraqi government besieged us and imposed a medical siege on the camp.
Subsequently the Iranian regime’s agents, along with Iraqi forces, attacked the camp using armoured Humvees firing indiscriminately on the unarmed residents. On 28 July 2009, I was run over by one of these armoured Humvees, which left me severely wounded and unconscious. I suffered a broken pelvis fractured in four different places and a ruptured spleen. The ambulance that came for me was also riddled with bullets.
When I regained consciousness at Ashraf clinic I saw hundreds of wounded there. There was no room left and people were forced to lie on the floor. Even then the Iraqi forces would not allow anyone to leave the camp for treatment or allow Iraqi physicians to enter. After two days a group of American physicians who resided at the adjacent camp were allowed to visit us and they transferred eight of the critically wounded people, including myself, to Ballad hospital for treatment. Because of the delay in medical care, Alireza Ahmad Khah who was also wounded in his pelvis, passed away. He was lying beside me in a Humvee belonging to the American forces and he passed away as we were leaving Ashraf.
Another example was Siavoosh Nezamal Molki whose head was smashed by the Iraqis using a bat, causing a brain aneurism. He lost his life because of the delay in providing treatment. I was at the American forces’ hospital for a month and a half, but they did not perform the internal surgeries I needed. They told me that I had to wait till January 2010 and they returned me to the camp. The National Council of Resistance issued a statement saying that they were willing to pay the expenses for the operations and would even send skilled physicians to Iraq to perform the surgeries or have me transferred out of Iraq for the operation, but none of these proposals were accepted.
Finally, in February 2011 when a mission from Geneva came to visit the camp and had asked to visit some of the wounded and injured, I was one of the people whom they met. After that I was able to leave the camp and go to Erbil in northern Iraq for my much-needed surgery. But the doctors in Erbil told me that because of the prolonged delay there was nothing they could do for me. I was returned to the camp with a Foley catheter stuck to my bladder. The medical siege has left me with a shortened leg and limited mobility. I am unable to lift anything. I have to live with a Foley catheter in my stomach for the rest of my life.
This situation is still going on in Camp Liberty and the residents have to go through the same ordeal trying to see a doctor or a specialist. They are not allowed to see a private doctor or go to a private clinic even considering the situation in Iraq; the public health facilities have a very low standard of care and hygiene due to a high number of patients.
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