Articles for Iraq

Following the Iraq's ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearances, the treaty will finally be implemented on 23 December 2010. Although Alkarama welcomes this step, it insists that enormous efforts must continue to be made, especially in the Arab world.

Alkarama recently received the case of Palestinian refugee in Iraq, Mahmoud Al-Khayat, who spent nearly five years in custody during which he was transferred between eight separate detention centres and prisons.

At noon hour on Saturday 5 June 2010, Special Forces of the Iraqi army, accompanied by plainclothes security officers, driving civilian vehicles, carried out house raids on eight civilian homes in Al-Adhamiya. Security forces were looking for explosive devices in a local cemetery.

On 5 March 2010, Alkarama submitted the case of Heikal Alweis (هيكل اللويس), also known as Mus'ab Alweis ((مصعب اللويس to the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Mr Alweis was arrested by the Iraqi authorities on 2 December 2004 in the Mahmudiyah region

Omar Al-Utaibi was arrested at an Iraqi-American military checkpoint in Al-Falouja on 31 January 2004 and has since disappeared. The Iraqi authorities denied holding him.

At the time of the statement, the U.S. occupying forces acknowledged having 6210 detainees, including two minors, 38 officials of the Baath Party and four foreign nationals, without specifying whether the number of prisoners was only limited to Al-Tajji detention center.