The Iranian Resistance calls on the U.S. government, UNAMI and UNHCR that have numerously and in writing committed themselves to the wellbeing and security of the residents to take the necessary steps to end this hostage taking and to secure the immediate release of Mr. Safar Zakery.
NCRI – Today, Tuesday, March 31, is the 16th day that Mr. Safar Zakery, a Camp Liberty resident taken hostage on pretext of a suspicious car accident, is kept in detention. On March 30, the investigative judge took two completely healthy soldiers to the court as injured passengers of the HUMVEE that had hit Mr. Zakery’s vehicle, and took their affidavits as complainants. Vividly, fabrication of this case is aimed at prolonging Mr. Zakery’s detention. Meanwhile, the driver of the HUMVEE that was guilty for the accident has not spent even a single day in prison.
Until March 30, one of the excuses for not releasing Mr. Zakery was that the statements of these two soldiers have not been registered, but Mr. Zakery was not released even after their statements were registered. As such, under fictitious pretenses and through constantly bringing up fresh and baseless charges, a completely innocent refugee is being kept in detention; and by bringing the Baghdad embassy of the religious fascism ruling Iran to this case, the investigative judge has paved the way for criminal machinations by the mullahs’ regime.
This refugee is being kept in detention despite the fact that the HUMVEE driver is the sole guilty party to the accident and while Mr. Zakery’s ID card and his official “Protected Person” card, as well as his Iranian driver’s license, are with the court. Moreover, the High Commissioner for Refugees has officially written to the court in Karkh on March 23, 2015: “The Iranian national Mr. Safar Zakery is a Person of concern to UNHCR”.
All evidence point to a suspicious accident and a wicked plan to impose pressure on Camp Liberty residents.
Continuing the detention of Mr. Safar Zakery, 60, is while after a three-year-wait and tolerating restrictions of the medical blockade on Camp Liberty, he is scheduled for an important surgery on 5 April 2015 in the hospital.
Once again, the Iranian Resistance reiterates that the unlawful detention of Mr. Zakery is a blatant breach of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Government of Iraq and the United Nations on 25 December 2011, and a violation of international refugee law.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the U.S. government, UNAMI and UNHCR that have numerously and in writing committed themselves to the wellbeing and security of the residents to take the necessary steps to end this hostage taking and to secure the immediate release of Mr. Safar Zakery.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran – Paris
March 31, 2015
