1 Viscount Tenby debates involving the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Tue 25th Jan 2011

Iraq: Camp Ashraf

Viscount Tenby Excerpts
Tuesday 25th January 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Viscount Tenby Portrait Viscount Tenby
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Why are the detainees in Camp Ashraf not subject to the Geneva Convention? The Minister said in his original reply that they were not protected. Why are they not protected?

Lord Howell of Guildford Portrait Lord Howell of Guildford
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It is a legal matter. It has been ruled that the convention is not applicable as the residents of the camp are not prisoners of war. This is apparently the ruling that has been laid down by the United Nations. I could fill in more detail, but this seems to be the basic reason why they are not deemed to be covered by the fourth Geneva convention.