Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement condemning reports of violence against residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq:

“In light of new reports of violence perpetrated against the residents of Ashraf, we are deeply concerned that the government of Iraq appears to have disregarded its commitments to proactively ensure the safety and well-being of those living in Ashraf, to refrain from harming the human rights of the residents, and to prevent the involuntary return of the residents to Iran.

“We condemn all acts of violence perpetrated against the residents of Ashraf, and call on the government of Iraq to immediately reaffirm and meet its obligations to ensure their safety and well-being.”

BACKGROUND: Amid previous reports of violence in and around Ashraf, Ros-Lehtinen and Berman issued a joint statement in July 2009 calling on the Iraqi government to ensure the protection of Ashraf residents.