The delegation of the Alliance Internationale-AIDL was arrested on Saturday at Erbil airport by the Kurdistan airport security authorities.

The delegation was "planning to visit to the region in order to get acquainted with the human rights situation, as part of its field visit to the conflict areas in the world", said the AIDL in a statement.

The Alliance Internationale-AIDL, which has advisory status at the UN, has offices in Paris, Geneva, Brussels and New York. It is an international organization concerned with monitoring and defending violations of human rights and freedoms around the world and holding perpetrators accountable.