36 PMOI hostages RELEASED on 72nd day of hunger strike, 7th day of dry hunger strike,
transferred to Ashraf.
We all congratulate families and activist world wide involved in this campaign.
As far as our friends and research team could collect , this campaign has had the following sky high statistics for the campaign in various places only in the Internet.
Twitts : More than 10345 during the past weeks
Facebook activity: Ashraf mentioned at least 3425 folds
Pepers in the press: More than 3 to 3500 articles & coverages
Clips and echoes : More than 145 clips
emails with trace sent to Officials on this case : 14234
....
the actions taken on the streets have been extra ordinary:
At least 100 people on Hunger strike world wide
24 actions and sit-ins for at least 10 cities world wide
hundreds of actions and poetry reading and Arts disply in these si-ins
We like to use the press release given out by the NCRI site for further information on the situation :
36 PMOI hostages RELEASED on 72nd day of hunger strike, 7th day of dry hunger strike,
transferred to Ashraf
Mrs. Rajavi requests all hunger strikers in Ashraf and across globe to end their strike
President-elect of the Iranian Resistance thanked Iranian compatriots, Iraqi political figures and tribal leaders, members of parliaments, jurists, international human rights organizations across the globe for their relentless efforts to release the 36 hostages
On the seventy-second day of their hunger strike and seventh day of dry hunger strike, 36 PMOI hunger strikers who have been taken hostage in Iraq returned triumphantly to Camp Ashraf. A number of them went into coma yesterday morning and they were taken to hospital by prison guards. Upon their arrival, they were immediately taken to Ashraf medical center to rest and to be looked after due to their critical condition and the injuries suffered from gunshots and beatings during the July 28 and 29 attacks. Most of them were on the verge of death.
All of the released PMOI members were beaten and wounded and seven of them were unconscious at the time of their capture and abduction. They were held for several days in appalling conditions outside of Ashraf and then transferred to the local prison in the city of Khalis. Subsequently they were moved to the Iraqi military intelligence detention center and finally to the prison in al-Muthana airfield. In all these displacements they were mistreated. Their astounding perseverance for the past 72 days shocked the world.
The court in Khalis ordered their release first time 46 days ago on August 23, 2009. They continued to remain in custody, however, on spurious charges of illegal entry into Iraq over 23 years ago. The court again confirmed the order for their release on September16, 2009. On September 27, 2009, the judge in Khalis city court gave his third and definitive order for their release and dismissed all charges against them. In the verdict for their release and closure of their cases it was emphasized that they had not committed any crime, that the investigation is closed, and that they must be released from detention immediately.
The Iraqi police and government, however, refused to implement the order provoking a wave of worldwide and regional protests that eventually led to the release of hostages today against all odds and obstacles. Developments leading to the release of the hostages require a separate report.
The clerical regime ruling Iran planned to abduct as many Ashraf residents as possible in order to use them as a lever to put pressure on Ashraf residents. The regime wanted to transfer the hostages to Iran to eliminate them, like the PMOI members Mohammad Ali Zahedi and Hossein Pouyan who were kidnapped in August 2005 and taken to Iraqi Interior Ministry, and handed over to the Iranian regime's Quds Force and then to Iran.
But, the incredible perseverance of these 36PMOI members, along with the resistance of Ashraf residents, and strikes, sit-ins, demonstrations, and protests by our compatriots in various countries across the world, that presented a brilliant show of solidarity of the Iranian people, combined with massive international support, eventually defeating the ploys by the Iranian regime and led to the victory of Ashraf residents and release of the 36hostages.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, congratulated Iranian compatriots and friends of the Resistance in Iran and abroad, as well as the PMOI members in Ashraf, and also the leader of the Iranian Resistance for successful release of the hostages. By pointing to international efforts to guarantee the protection of Ashraf, Mrs. Rajavi earnestly requested the PMOI members in Ashraf and all hunger strikers in various countries to end their strikes.
Hunger striking members of the PMOI in Ashraf conceded Mrs. Rajavi's request and expressed their gratitude to all other solidarity hunger strikers throughout the world. They also expressed gratitude to the continued international campaign of Ashraf supporters and determined defenders who are seeking guarantees for protection and fulfillment of the rights of Ashraf residents and declared that if their security and protection are not guaranteed they will have no other choice but to resume their hunger strike.
The President-elect of the Iranian Resistance sincerely thanked the relentless efforts of the Iranian compatriots and all faithful supporters of the Resistance, Iraqi politicians, tribal leaders, and noble Iraqi citizens, and all parliamentarians, jurists, and international human rights organizations across the globe for the release of the 36 hostages.
Mrs. Rajavi expressed her special gratitude to Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams; Sheikh Taysir al-Tamimi, Palestine’s Chief Justice; Mrs. Danielle Mitterrand; Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice President of the European Parliament; Sid Ahmed Ghozali, former Prime Minister of Algeria; Lord Robin Corbett; Dr. Saleh Mutlak, leader of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front; and the relentless efforts of the International Committee of in Search of Justice, International Committee of Jurists, Arabic-Islamic Committee in Defense of Ashraf, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and parliamentary committees in various countries of the world.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 7, 2009
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