Erbil, Kurdistan Region (GOV.KRD) – In cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and with the participation of representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government, Cordoba Peace Institute – Geneva is holding a workshop in Geneva on 27 October 2022 to discuss research papers on the right to know the fate of missing persons, as part of the Kurdistan Region’s plan and the national plan for human rights.
Speaking about the Regional Government’s participation in the meeting, Dr Dindar Zebari, the KRG Coordinator for International Advocacy, who oversees the implementation of the Region’s human rights plan, said: “The meeting will be attended by a representative of the Office of the Prime Minister and the relevant bodies of the Federal Government, as well as the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, a representative of the German Federal Foreign Office, and representatives of international organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.”
The meeting will be an opportunity to present, at the international level, the progress made in implementing and following up the Region’s human rights plan, since enforced disappearance and missing persons are among the topics covered by the plan: of the 389 recommendations addressed to the Region, nine concern the crime of enforced disappearance and international crimes.
Under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which Iraq has ratified, the Iraqi Government is required to follow up and report on its achievements and challenges in this field to the relevant international bodies.
In Geneva, the KRG Coordinator for International Advocacy highlights efforts to rescue those abducted by ISIS terrorists
Erbil, Kurdistan Region (GOV.KRD) – In cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and with the participation of representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government, Cordoba Peace Institute – Geneva today, Thursday 27 October 2022, held a consultative meeting in Geneva to discuss research papers on the right to know the fate of missing persons, as part of the Kurdistan Region’s plan and the national plan for human rights.
Opening the meeting, Dr Dindar Zebari, who oversees the implementation of the Region’s human rights plan, gave a speech on the implementation and follow-up of the plan at the international level, enforced disappearance and missing persons being among the topics it covers: of the 389 recommendations addressed to the Region, nine concern the crime of enforced disappearance and international crimes. The Kurdistan Parliament has enacted the Law on Missing Persons in the Genocide Campaigns against the People of Kurdistan, which covers the Anfal, Halabja, the genocide of the Barzanis and the genocide of the Feyli Kurds; in 2021 an amendment was proposed to extend it to the victims of the crimes of the ISIS terrorist organisation. There is also the Law on the Rights and Privileges of the Families of Martyrs and Anfal Victims of the Kurdistan Region – Iraq.
The Coordinator for International Advocacy highlighted the Regional Government’s efforts to rescue those abducted by ISIS terrorists: “After the ISIS terrorist attacks, the KRG Council of Ministers set up a ministerial committee to have the terrorist acts of ISIS recognised as genocide, and another committee to free the abductees, who numbered 6,417, of whom 3,548 were women and girls and 2,869 men and boys. Thanks to the efforts of the Regional Government, 3,554 people have been freed.” The Regional Government has also begun documenting ISIS crimes: 5,170 files have been archived, of which more than 2,324 have been completed from a legal standpoint and 2,000 are still under investigation, and 2,916 cases have been registered as missing persons. Psychosocial support has been provided to more than 2,234 victims.
Zebari praised the Regional Government’s cooperation with UNITAD: “After the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2379 (2017) establishing the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD), the Regional Government has cooperated with the Team, within the framework of the National Coordination Committee for Cooperation with UNITAD (NCC), on many issues, including capacity building for judges and investigators, digitisation, witness protection, the opening of mass graves and the return of remains, and interviews with detainees,” in order to document these crimes so that the perpetrators can be brought before a competent court and the victims’ families compensated.
He added: “As part of the archiving process carried out with UNITAD, evidence consisting of documents, court cases, videos, photographs and audio recordings was collected from the Office for the Rescue of Abducted Yazidis, and 3,543 files totalling 5,393 pages were archived. From the Zerevani Peshmerga forces, 384 megabytes (124 photographs) and 28.3 gigabytes (105 videos) were archived, and work on the project is continuing.”
On the possibility of prosecuting ISIS criminals, Dr Dindar Zebari said: “The crimes committed by ISIS against all the components of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are international crimes – crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. The Kurdistan Regional Government has therefore prepared a draft law establishing a court competent for the crimes committed by ISIS terrorists; the draft has been referred to the Kurdistan Parliament, where it has passed its first reading.”
The Coordinator for International Advocacy added: “We have held many meetings with the relevant bodies and UNITAD on this subject; however, in an unprecedented move, the Federal Supreme Court rejected the draft on the basis of press reports. Even so, further discussions must be held in coordination with the UN side to resolve this matter and to support this draft, as well as the laws and legislation in force in the Region, including the Anti-Terrorism Law, so that ISIS terrorists can be tried before national courts.”
27 October 2022
Source: Kurdistan Regional Government (external website, opens in a new tab)
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