HRW warns against ‘illegal executions’ by security forces in Mosul


Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday warned the Iraqi government against the “illegal executions” in government-held territories of Mosul.

Since October, the handcuffed and blindfolded bodies of nearly 26 people were discovered in government-held areas in Mosul and surrounding areas, according to HRW.

The rights group believes many of the dead were killed by Iraqi security forces after being accused of working with the Islamic State (IS).

Lama Fakih, HRW’s deputy Middle East director, said there was evidence the security forces were targeting suspected IS affiliates.

“The bodies of bound and blindfolded men are being found one after the other in and around Mosul and in the Tigris River,” Fakih said.

The deputy director added the executions raised “serious concerns about extrajudicial killings by government forces.”

“The lack of any apparent government action to investigate these deaths undermines the government’s statements on protecting detainee rights,” Fakih explained.

HRW said the locations of other executions in government-held regions of Mosul are “a worrying indication [of] possible government responsibility.”

According to the rights group, the Shia militia known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, whom the Iraqi government supports, was responsible for the slayings of 25 men whose bodies were found in the Tigris.

Extensive and organized extrajudicial killings enforced during armed conflicts are considered war crimes under international law.

The executions may also be considered crimes against humanity.

“If Iraqi authorities want civilians who spent over two years living under [IS] to feel safe and protected, they need to ensure that anyone responsible for murdering prisoners is brought to justice,” Fakih concluded.


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