As UNITAD’s Mandate Ends, ISIL Survivors Still Lack Justice

As the mandate of UNITAD—the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL—draws to a close on September 17, two competing narratives are almost certain to emerge. In an effort to explain the lack of prosecutions resulting from UNITAD’s work—just nine prosecutions for crimes against humanity and genocide have resulted from this data collection, mostly in Germany but also earlier this year in Portugal—proponents of UNITAD will likely cast the Iraq state as the primary obstacle in achieving justice, blaming Iraqi authorities for failing to meet international standards and the Government of Iraq for requesting the end of UNITAD’s mandate from the UN Security Council (UNSC) last year. In Baghdad, officials will continue to criticize UNITAD for withholding critical evidence and failing to collaborate effectively with Iraqi authorities, as was explicitly outlined in the original UNITAD mandate. The reality will lie somewhere between the country’s remaining displacement camps, informal settlements, and shattered lives.

انتهاء تفويض "يونيتاد": الناجون من تنظيم "داعش" ما زالوا يفتقرون إلى العدالة

مع انتهاء تفويض بعثة "يونيتاد"، أي "فريق التحقيق التابع للأمم المتحدة لتعزيز المساءلة عن الجرائم المرتكبة من جانب تنظيم "داعش"، يجب على جميع الأطراف المعنية تقييم القيود التي واجهتها المنظمة فيما يتعلق بما تمكنت من تحقيقه لضحايا جرائم "داعش، بعد سبع سنوات.

Navigating conflicting memories: Reconciliation initiatives to engage the Yezidi population in Iraq

"As well as structural reasons preventing the return of many Yezidi children from Syria, such as lack of identity papers or official registration, it is important to acknowledge that many Yezidis still do not embrace the return of these children born out of rape, and often argue that all accused IS fighters should be executed, even if the evidence of their crimes is questionable or the result of torture in the context of Iraq's highly problematic judicial system. Expert interview with Alannah Travers, 20 March 2024."

C4JR Publishes Latest Collaborative Report: 10 Demands, 10 Years After the Genocide by ISIL

Sinjar, Iraq – To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the genocide committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIL) against minorities including the Yazidi, Christian, Shabak, Turkmen and other communities in Iraq, the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) along with the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, SEED Foundation, and Yazda, publishes our joint report featuring 10 demands of survivors, a decade after the genocide.

Iraqi parliament to address general amnesty law amid ongoing mass executions

“If implemented strategically, the Amnesty Law could also serve as a crucial step toward national reconciliation. By addressing past and present grievances, the legislation could help mend the social fabric torn by years of conflict and violence. This, in turn, could promote long-term stability and peace in the country,” Alannah Travers, a researcher and consultant working on these issues with organizations including the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), told The New Region on Tuesday.

C4JR Urges Legal Reform in Iraq Following Genocide Sentences Against ISIL Members

On today’s Day of International Criminal Justice, the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) wishes to draw attention to recent concerning rulings and urge the government of Iraq to pass legislation which incorporates international crimes in domestic legislation, rather than simply referring to it in sentencing. This legal reform is essential to ensure justice for all victims of ISIL atrocities and to uphold the principles of international law.

Award-winning Human Rights Journalist and Shikoku Pilgrim Alannah Travers  - GoConnect

Alannah Travers is a British-German journalist for Al Jazeera and other media, and was a consultant based in Iraq between 2021 and 2023. She has recently been processing her Middle East experiences by hiking the circular 1,200-kilometer Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. She will discuss her humanitarian and reporting work in Iraq and Kurdistan and her recent pilgrimage to Shikoku at a special dinner event at the Foreign Correspodents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ).
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