Iraq as seen by AI: gross human rights abuses continue
Iraq as seen by AI: gross human rights abuses continue
Amnesty International Report 2010 looks critically at Iraq as well. This is the summary view of the country:
"Government forces and armed political groups continued to commit gross human rights abuses, although the overall level of violence was lower than in previous years. Thousands of civilians were killed or seriously injured in suicide and other bomb attacks by armed political groups. The government and the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) continued to hold thousands of uncharged detainees on security grounds, some after several years, but released thousands of others. Torture and other ill- treatment of detainees by Iraqi forces, including prison guards, remained rife and were carried out with impunity. At least 1,100 prisoners were reported to be under sentence of death, many following unfair trials. The government disclosed no information about executions, but at least 120 were reported and it appeared that some were carried out in secret. At least 1.5 million people were still internally displaced within Iraq and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were refugees abroad. New human rights violations were reported in the semi- autonomous Kurdistan region where conditions generally were much better than in the rest of Iraq."
At least 391 people were sentenced to death, bringing the total under sentence of death to at least 1,100, including at least 900 people who had exhausted all legal remedies. At least 120 executions were carried out but the true figure may have been higher as the authorities disclosed little information on executions and some were reported to have been carried out secretly. "Most death sentences - says the report - were imposed after unfair trials for involvement in armed attacks, murder and other violent acts. Defendants commonly complained that “confessions” accepted as evidence against them had been obtained under torture when they were interrogated while held incommunicado in pre-trial detention, and that they could not choose their own defence lawyers. In some cases, these “confessions” were broadcast on television."
Amnesty denounces also the abuses by armed groups. In particular, the report points out that "at least 25 boys and men were killed in the first quarter of the year in Baghdad, apparently because they were or were perceived to be gay, after religious leaders in Baghdad’s predominantly Shi’a district of al-Sadr City urged their followers to eradicate homosexuality. The perpetrators were believed to be armed Shi’a militia or members of the victims’ own families or tribes. Many of the victims were kidnapped and tortured before they were murdered. Some had their bodies mutilated."
"Government forces and armed political groups continued to commit gross human rights abuses, although the overall level of violence was lower than in previous years. Thousands of civilians were killed or seriously injured in suicide and other bomb attacks by armed political groups. The government and the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) continued to hold thousands of uncharged detainees on security grounds, some after several years, but released thousands of others. Torture and other ill- treatment of detainees by Iraqi forces, including prison guards, remained rife and were carried out with impunity. At least 1,100 prisoners were reported to be under sentence of death, many following unfair trials. The government disclosed no information about executions, but at least 120 were reported and it appeared that some were carried out in secret. At least 1.5 million people were still internally displaced within Iraq and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were refugees abroad. New human rights violations were reported in the semi- autonomous Kurdistan region where conditions generally were much better than in the rest of Iraq."
At least 391 people were sentenced to death, bringing the total under sentence of death to at least 1,100, including at least 900 people who had exhausted all legal remedies. At least 120 executions were carried out but the true figure may have been higher as the authorities disclosed little information on executions and some were reported to have been carried out secretly. "Most death sentences - says the report - were imposed after unfair trials for involvement in armed attacks, murder and other violent acts. Defendants commonly complained that “confessions” accepted as evidence against them had been obtained under torture when they were interrogated while held incommunicado in pre-trial detention, and that they could not choose their own defence lawyers. In some cases, these “confessions” were broadcast on television."
Amnesty denounces also the abuses by armed groups. In particular, the report points out that "at least 25 boys and men were killed in the first quarter of the year in Baghdad, apparently because they were or were perceived to be gay, after religious leaders in Baghdad’s predominantly Shi’a district of al-Sadr City urged their followers to eradicate homosexuality. The perpetrators were believed to be armed Shi’a militia or members of the victims’ own families or tribes. Many of the victims were kidnapped and tortured before they were murdered. Some had their bodies mutilated."
