IRAQ: The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances calls on the government to respect its obligations under the Convention
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), responsible for monitoring the implementation by States of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, has urged the Iraqi government to comply with its commitments under the Convention it ratified on November 23, 2010.
The UN body insisted on the obligation of the State party to cooperate by conducting full investigations into the cases of enforced disappearances of Iraqi citizens including Khamis Al Ghurery, Majid Al Khaledi and Amer Tarek Hussein Dulaimi, who disappeared following arbitrary arrests by the military.
Khamis Al Ghurery (43) was arrested on 15 June 2014 in Latifiya (south of Baghdad) by army officers. His fate remains a mystery despite Alkarama's urgent appeal to the CED on 14 July 2014.
Amer Tarek Hussein Dulaimi (38) has been missing since his arrest at his home in Hillah (south of Baghdad) on 13 June 2014 by a dozen military officers. Alkarama had also submitted his case to the CED on 27 July 2015.
Arrested by a dozen Iraqi soldiers at his home in Al Qadisyia (Latifiya province) on 19 July 2014, Majid Al Khaledi (52) is still missing. On 1 November 2017, Alkarama submitted an urgent appeal to the CED.
Reminder of recommendations
Despite the ratification of the International Convention, the Iraqi State still does not respect its commitments to this day.
The UN body therefore reiterated its recommendations enjoining the Iraqi government to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the cases of enforced disappearances that occurred in the country, including those of Khamis Al Ghurery, Amer Tarek Hussein Dulaimi and Majid Al Khaledi.
The Committee invited the State party authorities to provide further information on the measures taken to search for the three citizens. It recalled that no circumstances can be invoked to justify an enforced disappearance and that it is the responsibility of the government to investigate such disappearances, regardless of the profile of the disappeared persons, or the suspicions that may exist against them.
Encouraging the government to periodically inform the families, relatives, and representatives of disappeared citizens of the progress of the search and investigation, the Committee stressed the importance of sanctioning any intervention by the authorities that might impede the effectiveness of the process of investigating and finding the disappeared.