SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Amnesty International on Tuesday called on Baghdad and Erbil to address “continuing collective punishment” of displaced people with perceived links to Islamic State (ISIS).
Thousands of displaced Iraqis with perceived links to ISIS are at “heightened risk” as Iraqi authorities move ahead with the closure of camps, the Amnesty said in a report published on Tuesday.
The London-based human rights group further said Iraqi and Kurdish authorities continued to stigmatize displaced people with perceived ties to ISIS, blocking or hindering their access to civil documentation essential for employment, education, access to state benefits and free movement.
“The Iraqi authorities and KRG must address the continuing collective punishment of IDPs with perceived links to IS as an integral part of any national plans to close camps – currently the only option for shelter for thousands of people,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Tackling these injustices is the only way to ensure a safe and dignified return, otherwise they risk perpetuating the sorts of actions that sow the seeds for future cycles of violence” Maalouf added.
“To prevent further cycles of abuses, Iraq’s authorities must guarantee that no one is punished for the crimes of others; that all Iraqis can obtain civil documentation; and that the whereabouts of those disappeared is revealed. The internally displaced must be given a meaningful choice about their future and any returns must be dignified, safe and sustainable.”
The Iraqi authorities have pushed ahead with the closure of camps over the last week. The camp closure will put at risk thousands who are ending up in precarious shelters or being returned to their areas of origin despite the fears of some that they will be unsafe there, the amnesty stated.
The human rights group has conducted individual interviews with 119 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and visiting seven IDP camps as well as interviews with 15 humanitarian workers.
It said all the men and boys released from detention in the Kurdistan Region expressed fears that they would be rearrested by the Iraqi forces and face torture and unfair trials if they sought to return to their homes in Kirkuk, Saladin and Nineveh.
“In wanting IDPs to return from the camps they are living in, the Iraqi government is seeking to close the painful chapter of the conflict. However, it is crucial that in doing so, it does not endanger those returning,” said Maalouf.
The organization further said the men and boys detained by Asayish (security) claimed that they were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment in an attempt to force a “confession” from them.
Many of them were beaten with fists, pipes or hoses, Amnesty’s report said, stating that one man was threatened with sexual violence against his female relatives.
“Fair, effective and transparent prosecutions for crimes perpetrated by all sides to the conflict, is key to give the authorities a sustainable basis to overcome the destructive legacy of IS,” Maalouf said.
