UN Secretary-General Condemns Attack on Liberty Camp

The United Nations reports that 26 people were killed in a rocket attack on Liberty Camp. The Secretary-General of the organization has condemned the attack. On Friday, November 8, the French news agency reported, citing a statement from Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson, that the UN Secretary-General condemns the attack on Liberty Camp, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people and injuries to many more. The statement mentioned that Mr. Ban urges the Iraqi government to appropriately investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. Liberty Camp is a holding facility for approximately two thousand unarmed members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, who were transferred there after the closure of Camp Ashraf and until a new country of residence is determined for them. In recent years, residents of Liberty Camp have been targeted multiple times by Iraqi Shiite militants close to the Islamic Republic. Fars news agency reported that a Shiite group known as 'Jaysh al-Mukhtar' has claimed responsibility for the recent attack on this camp. However, the People's Mojahedin Organization asserts that the Quds Force, the external operations unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is responsible for this attack. The Iraqi government stated that about 15 rockets were fired during the attack, but the People's Mojahedin Organization claims that over 80 missiles hit the camp. The United States and the European Union have also strongly condemned the attack on Liberty Camp. The Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet officially responded to this attack, but state-affiliated news agencies and websites have welcomed the incident. The Islamic Republic considers the People's Mojahedin Organization a 'terrorist' group and refers to it as 'the hypocrites.' In return, this organization refers to the Islamic Republic as the 'clerical regime' and accuses it of dictatorship. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran was one of the groups supporting the Islamic Revolution of 1979, carrying out numerous armed operations against the Pahlavi monarchy. However, shortly after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, conflicts began between this group and the newly established government leaders. Armed clashes between the People's Mojahedin Organization members and forces affiliated with the Islamic Republic resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries. Sadegh Khalkhali, the Islamic judge in the early years after the revolution, reported the execution of teenagers and unarmed members of this organization. The organization moved its headquarters to Iraq in the mid-1980s under the support of Saddam Hussein. In 1988, the People's Mojahedin Organization launched attacks against border cities in Iran with the aim of capturing them and fighting against the Islamic Republic, which, despite initial victories, ultimately faced severe defeat. A few months later, thousands of imprisoned members and supporters of this organization in Iran were executed by order of Ruhollah Khomeini, the then-leader of the Islamic Republic. All those executed had been tried and convicted before their execution and were serving their prison sentences.