Matthew spoke at the International Conference for Protection of Ashraf in central London. During his speech to delegates, Matthew highlighted the failed promise of the US, the EU and the UNAMI to protect residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq as persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Citing the relocation of residents who have been attacked by the same security forces who were intended to protect them, speaker after speaker condemned the lack of actions by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq Martin Kobler. Matthew drew attention to the neglected responsibility of the International community and the UN to secure protection of Ashraf residents in accordance with the principle adopted by the UN in 2006 called Responsibility to Protect, and the lack of action by the US to hold the Iraqi government to account for three years of repeated and deliberate abuses of human rights of the residents of Camp Ashraf.
Matthew's most out-spoken criticism was reserved for the decision by the US State Department to keep the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran on its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations, despite a ruling by the US Appeal Court DC Circuit in mid-2010 ordering the US Secretary of State to review the designation and recommending a revocation based on evidences the court had seen.
Matthew said: “The policies of the US and EU have failed the people in Camp Ashraf and have also failed the international community by sticking to a belief that appeasement will result in the Iranian regime giving up its race for a nuclear weapon”.
Matthew urged the international community to “be strong and stand up to the Iraqi government and the Iranian regime and say enough is enough. The Iranian regime should not be allowed to ridicule the international community anymore. The UN must insist that the remaining residents at Camp Ashraf should not have to move and the UNHCR process should start immediately with the UN providing security”. Matthew concluded by saying, “that is how we can secure a peaceful and humanitarian solution to the plight of people in Camp Ashraf.”