Articles for Iraq

On Monday 4 July 2016, a day after the two deadly Baghdad bombings, the Iraqi Ministry of Justice announced the implementation of death sentences against five convicts on death row, upon request of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi. New death sentences are soon to be announced said the Ministry of Justice, affirming that it would continue "to deliver just punishment to those whose hands are stained with the blood of Iraqis".

On 23 June 2016, Alkarama wrote to the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, deploring the summary executions, enforced disappearances and torture by the Iraqi military forces and state-sponsored militias – including those belonging to the "People's Mobilisation Unit", an umbrella organisation of about 40 militias under the effective control of the Prime Minister – directed against the civilian population fleeing Fallujah.

On 12 June 2014, armed groups affiliated to the 'Islamic State' (IS) took over the Speicher base – a military base and air force training college situated between the cities of Beiji and Tikrit in the Salahuddin province – and executed more than 1500 Iraqi soldiers. Aware that IS was advancing towards the base, several military commanders ordered their subordinates to leave to save their lives.

On 9 June 2015, Raed Allawi Hussein Al-Janabi, a 35-year-old shepherd was grazing his sheep near Amiriyat Fallujah – 100 km east of Baghdad – when members of the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia in military uniform took him, without presenting a warrant or explaining the reasons.

In March 2016, human rights defenders Imad Amara and Faisal Al Tamimi were arrested and tortured due to their work documenting cases of enforced disappearances in Iraq. Both men were volunteers at the human rights NGO Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly, which documents cases of enforced disappearances and together with Alkarama, submits them to the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms.

On 18 October 2014, 26-year-old worker Arshad Al Dulaimi was with his cousin crossing the checkpoint situated on Dulaim bridge, north of Baghdad, when they were arrested by the military forces and taken to Al Aqrab prison, in the nearby city of Hillah. The authorities have, however, always refused to provide any information on Al Dulaimi's whereabouts.

On 18 October 2014, 55-year-old Haytham Al Dulaimi was arrested in his home by 5 heavily armed men in civilian and military clothes and taken to the Al Aqrab Brigade in Al Hallah. After being acquitted by the Hillah Court, Al Dulaimi was taken to the Hillah Intelligence Branch, from where he was supposed to be released on 30 November 2014. However, Al Dulaimi never left the detention facility and his family has since then received no news of his fate and whereabouts.

Alkarama welcomes the release, on 10 January 2016, of lawyer Mouayad Obeed Al Ezzi, who was arrested on the basis of an already cancelled arrest warrant by members of the police forces on 29 December 2015.

On 11 October 2015, construction worker Ayoub Al Mashhadani, aged 17 at the time, was arrested at his workplace and taken to an unknown location. Until today, his family was not able to obtain any information on his fate and whereabouts.

On 28 July 2014, 27-year-old Iraqi national, Salah Al Dulaimi disappeared following his night arrest by a squad of the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT), a special security force that has considerably strengthened since its creation by the U.S. Army during the occupation.