UN: Death Toll at Camp Ashraf at 34

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) today confirmed the reports that the Iraqi Army has massacred 34 Iranian exiles, all members of the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (MKO or MEK), during a raid on Camp Ashraf in Iraq. This is the first independent report on the death toll resulting from the 8 April attack. MKO had always maintained that more then 30 of the Camp residents were killed in the raid. The Iraqi government had first put the death toll at 3, then raised it to 12.

UNHRC Spokesman Rupert Colville said in Geneva that a team of UN observers saw 28 bodies still at the camp during a Wednesday visit to the compound in eastern Diyala province. Most of the bodies appeared to have been shot and some were women, he said. Three of the bodies appeared to have been crushed to death, likely from being run over by a vehicle.

"It's clearly a very serious incident and we are trying to get more information," Colville said. He said six bodies are elsewhere but did not clarify where, although observers said those bodies were at a nearby morgue.

The Iraqi army and police have blocked access to the camp for more than a year, following a similar raid in July 2009.