Demands to safeguard Kurdish refugees from "Iranian threats"

Shafaq News / the Committee for the Defense of the Security of Kurdistan's Citizens implored the Iraqi Parliament on Sunday to step in and mitigate the persistent Iranian threats looming over Kurdish refugees residing within the Kurdistan region.

A correspondent from Shafaq News Agency elucidated that this civil society organization orchestrated a compelling protest before the hallowed halls of the Iraqi Parliament in al-Sulaymaniyah.

Khaled Mohammed, a representative of the committee, asserted during a press conference, "Some Kurdish citizens sought refuge in the Kurdistan region due to ongoing harassment and excessive violence meted out by Iranian authorities. Even after seeking sanctuary in Iraqi Kurdistan, they continue to endure Iranian aggressions, be it through drone strikes, abductions, or direct assaults."

Mohammed emphasized, "the rights of refugees encompass the preservation of their lives and well-being," a tenet unequivocally underwritten by the 1952 Geneva Convention and enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He further insisted that "it is the responsibility of the Iraqi state to enforce these agreements and charters."

It has come to light that Iran intends to launch an offensive against refugee camps and opposition strongholds on the 19th of this month, even though these camps, inhabited primarily by women and children, pose no perceivable threat to Iran.

In the backdrop of these developments, the committee is petitioning Iran through the Iraqi Parliament to resolve its political issues peacefully, while respecting the sovereignty of both Iraq and the Kurdistan region.

The Iraqi Parliament, Mohammed added, is urged to prevent any "Iranian aggression against refugees who have been granted the right to live in peace by international conventions. The Iraqi government must prioritize their protection from violence, including murder, abduction, and all forms of aggression."

Earlier this month, Major General Abbas Nilforoushan, Deputy Chief of Operations for Iran's Revolutionary Guard, issued a stern ultimatum, stating that "the 19th of September is the deadline for Iraq to disarm armed groups. If they fail to fulfill their commitments, we will revert to the previous situation and are compelled to defend the interests of the Iranian people."

On September 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to the security agreement between the two nations, calling for the removal of Kurdish groups and parties opposed to the Tehran regime from the border areas shared by both countries.

In prior instances, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard conducted airstrikes on Kurdistan Region, claiming to target Kurdish armed groups that posed threats to Iranian security. Today, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani declared that the agreement with Iraq regarding the disarmament of these groups in Kurdistan Region would not be extended, adding, "There is no extension of the specified period; we will take appropriate actions according to the agreement at the right time."