OHCHR Briefing Notes
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will later today issue a press release expressing extreme alarm at the
dramatic deterioration of the situation in Iraq, amid reports of summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and the
massive displacement of some half a million people, as forces allied with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL, also known as ISIS), overran a succession of major towns and cities earlier in the week.
The full extent of civilian casualties is not yet known, but reports suggest the number of people killed in recent days
may run into the hundreds, and the number of wounded is said to be approaching 1,000. We have received reports of the
summary execution of Iraq Army soldiers during the capture of Mosul, and of 17 civilians on one particular street in
Mosul City on 11 June.
The High Commissioner will warn the parties to the conflict that they are obliged under international law to treat
humanely members of armed forces who have laid down their arms or are hors de combat. She will also stress that murder
of all kind, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture constitute war crimes. They must also take all feasible
precautions, in areas under their effective control, to spare civilians from the effects of hostilities, and to respect,
protect and meet the basic needs of civilian populations.
The following initial reports of human rights violations have been received by the Human Rights Division of the UN
mission in Iraq, UNAMI, since the fall of Mosul:
- The execution on 11 June of 17 civilians who work for the police that took place on Street 60, close to the airport in
southern Mosul.
- The execution of a court employee in the central Dawasa area of Mosul.
- The execution of 12 people in Dawasa who were believed to have been serving with the Iraqi security forces (ISF) or
were members of the police
- The reported suicide of four women either after they were raped by members of ISIL, or after an attempt to force them
into marriage with ISIL fighters.
- The kidnapping of 16 Georgians who work for an Iraqi communications company in Mosul.
- Reports that prisoners from Mosul’s prisons, who were then armed by ISIL, have been searching for those they believe
to be responsible for their incarceration, including allegations that former prisoners went to Tikrit and killed seven
former police officers who had worked in the prison.
- Reports that ISIL checkpoints are specifically targeting former soldiers and police and others they perceives as being
associated with the Government
We have also received reports concerning violations by the Iraqi army including allegations that, at a certain point on
9 June, soldiers were preventing civilians from leaving Mosul, and were turning them back at checkpoints on the
outskirts of the city. We have also received disturbing reports that Iraqi security forces shelled civilian areas during
the fighting on 6 and 8 June, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties, with allegations that up to 30
civilians may have been killed during the shelling.
2) Mauritania
We are concerned at death threats issued last week on social media against the prominent Mauritanian human rights
activist Aminetou Mint El-Moctar. The threats are based on a fatwa issued by the leader of the movement known as
‘Friends of the prophet’ and declare that “whoever kills her or tears out her eyes will be rewarded by God.”
Ms. Mint El-Moctar is being targeted because she publicly demanded a fair trial procedure, in compliance with
Mauritania’s international human rights obligations, for Mohamed Ould M’Kaitir, a young Mauritanian man who has been
awaiting trial on charges of apostasy since January. Because of the nature of the charges, no lawyers have been willing
to come forward to defend Mr. Ould M’Kaitir, effectively making it impossible at present for him to be given a fair
trial. The horrendous threats against Ms. Mint El-Moctar, simply for pointing this out, starkly underline the importance
of her public call that a fair trial must be ensured, and illustrate how difficult that will be.
We are concerned that Ms. Mint El-Moctar is not being provided with adequate protection by the authorities, despite
having requested it. We remind the government of Mauritania of its obligation to protect its citizens from threats to
their life and safety. The government should take all necessary steps to protect Ms. Mint El-Moctar given the very clear
public threats to kill or mutilate her, and to investigate and possibly prosecute those making threats which amount to
incitement to kill. In this context, we encourage the government to finally adopt the draft law on civil association,
which would strengthen the protection of members of civil society in circumstances such as these.
We also remind Mauritania of its obligation to ensure an impartial and fair procedure with full respect for the
presumption of innocence until proven guilty. In particular, during the current heightened political discussion in the
run up to the presidential elections, the Government should ensure that religion is not used as a tool in the political
debate.
3) Egypt
We are concerned about the decision by a Cairo criminal court on June 11 to sentence 25 Egyptian activists, including
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Wael Metwally and human rights defender and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah in abstentia to 15 years’
imprisonment and to a fine and a further five years of police surveillance after their release. According to Egyptian
NGOs, the 25 defendants have been accused of “breaching the protest law, illegal gathering, theft, and attacking
officials on duty”.
This verdict constitutes the latest example in a chain of legal cases that have failed to meet international fair trial
standards. Since the promulgation of the protest law in November 2013, dozens of protesters, including prominent
activists, have been arrested and harshly sentenced in trials that generally fell short of key international fair trial
standards.
We have already raised serious concerns about the law on protests, notably the vague definitions of restrictions and the
excessive powers bestowed on commanders on the ground, leading to the possible use of lethal force without sufficient
safeguards. We have warned that the law could lead to serious breaches of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and
needs to urgently be brought in conformity with Egypt’s international human rights obligations.
4) Colombia: Joint Declaration of Principles on Victims
We welcome the announcement on 7 June of the Declaration of Principles for the Discussion of Point 5 on the Agenda:
Victims by the Colombian Government and the FARC.
In line with human rights standards regarding transitional justice, this declaration of principles, which establishes
how the negotiations on victims have to be conducted, states that the satisfaction of the rights of victims is a
fundamental guarantee for achieving peace. It also states that the termination of the conflict will contribute greatly
to the satisfaction of these rights, which will include the rights to truth, justice, and reparation as well as
guarantees of non-repetition.
We particularly welcome the fact that the Declaration clearly states that victims’ rights are non-negotiable. The
question is now about reaching an agreement on how these rights might best be satisfied in the context of an armed
conflict. In the statement introducing the Declaration, the Government and the FARC have also requested the United
Nations to organise consultations with victims, and announced that they will invite a victims’ delegation to the next
round of negotiations, which is another praiseworthy development.
After the framework agreement on peace, and three specific agreements on agrarian development, political participation
and drug trafficking and illicit crops, we believe this Declaration to be another important milestone on the path to
peace. We encourage all parties to now come to a full binding agreement on victims, and hope that this will allow them
to move closer towards bringing about a true and lasting peace in Colombia.
ENDS