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Nine Facts About Human Rights in Iraq

Human Rights in IraqIn the wake of the Iraq war and the ISIS occupation of much of Iraq’s territory, human rights in Iraq appear to have been placed on the backburner. Human rights violations are not only limited to ISIS’s inhumane treatment and extermination of Shia Muslim; they also include the Iraqi forces’ abhorrent treatment of possible ISIS members and surrounding communities.

Nine Facts about Human Rights in Iraq

  1. Serious human rights violations have been prevalent in Iraq since 2014. The violations fall primarily into the categories of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Iraq has witnessed everything from terror attacks to sexual abuse, leaving millions of civilians without a home and forced to flee.
  2. ISIS is responsible for thousands of civilians deaths, punishing crimes deemed immoral and illegal under ISIS law. These atrocities and human rights violations include stoning people accused of crimes like adultery and stripping women and girls of human rights deemed basic in the United States. These attacks have been committed against civilians refusing to join the ranks of ISIS, putting them forth as an example to other resilient civilians.
  3. Human rights in Iraq have also been violated by government-led forces. Captured ISIS members, including those forced against their will, have been detained without any access to lawyers or aid. Kept in overcrowded prisons and denied communication with their families, access to the outside world and the ability to defend their actions, these prisoners are in a helpless situation.
  4. Iraq is one of the top three countries in the world for how many prisoners it executes. Hundreds of prisoners are kept on death row. At least 169 prisoners were executed in 2013; this figure has been on the rise ever since.
  5. Prisoners have reported that it is normal for confessions to be forced by the use of torture. This leaves room for wrongful convictions, as prisoners often give in to accusations simply to end the torture.
  6. With the aim of ending the reign of terror of ISIS, Iraqi forces have been given few limits on their methods used to fight against ISIS. Human rights violations by Iraqi forces are often masked under the label of fighting terror and helping the nation.
  7. Freedom of expression and association have been stripped by the Iraqi government, leaving little room for the growth of democracy. The Iraqi government used arms and violence to disperse peaceful protests in and around Baghdad during the recent provincial elections.
  8. Domestic violence is widely accepted in Iraq. The law deems sexual violence illegal; however, there is a large loophole. If the man accused of sexual assault marries the girl in question, it is no longer considered sexual assault. A 2012 study showed that 68 percent of women in Iraq have experienced some form of abuse from their husbands.
  9. Civilian casualties have been steadily decreasing since the overthrow of the ISIS regime. Compared to the peak of monthly deaths in October 2016, the number has significantly decreased. The figures dropped from 1,120 casualties in October 2016 to 76 in June 2018. This highlights the impact of the fight against ISIS in Iraq.

The country of Iraq has witnessed a myriad of internally and externally caused turmoil. However, since the takeback of Mosul and other ISIS-occupied territories, human rights may finally be respected and upheld by the Iraqi government. As the genocide committed by ISIS is recognized, it may pave the way for a safer life in Iraq where human rights are both respected and implemented.

– Trelawny Robinson
Photo: Flickr

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On the Abysmal Violations of Human Rights in Iraq

Human Rights in Iraq
The issue of human rights in Iraq is a continuing problem that needs to be addressed due to the conflict between the people, government and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). While the name ISIS frequents news sources in the United States, particularly in stories of the abuse of civil rights, the Iraqi central government also contributes to the systematic abuse of Iraq’s citizens.

ISIS uses citizens of Iraq as human shields, hurts them with random attacks using weapons, car bombs and suicide attackers, and blows up citizen areas with landmines. The government, which includes departments like Popular Mobilization Forces, loots and destroys homes, and tortures, executes and “disappears” its citizens. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) also implements the use of child soldiers.

Thousands of civilians are in prison without charge and denied legal counsel and access to their families. They are treated poorly at best and subjected to torture at worst. After extremely unfair trials, many receive lengthy prison sentences or death sentences. Most “confessions” are obtained while the civilian is being tortured.

While most violence and terrorism in Iraq is indiscriminate, women and girls have more restricted civil rights than men. They live in constant danger of sexual assault and domestic violence with little to no repercussions for the perpetrators of such acts. Gay men face acts of targeted violence due to sexual orientation as well.

In 2017 so far, no month counted less than 317 deaths (April) or 300 injured (June) in acts of violence and in violation of human rights in Iraq. In June alone, there were 415 killed due to violence, terrorism and armed conflict.

The protection of the innocent civilians and their human rights in Iraq is of the utmost importance, and so is the protection of the International Affairs Budget with regard to United States foreign policy. Iraq is now known as the deadliest country in the world for journalists and one of the deadliest for children. In a country that is labeled the third most prolific executioner, advocation for human rights is sorely needed.

– Ellie Ray

Photo: Flickr