UN Condemns Alleged War Crimes in Iraq
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay condemned the recent spate of killings and violence by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, saying they certainly amounted to war crimes.
“Based on corroborated reports from a number sources, it appears that hundreds of non-combatant men were summarily executed over the past five days, including surrendered and captured soldiers, military conscripts, police and others associated with the (Baghdad) government,” Pillay said in a statement.
“Although the numbers cannot be verified yet, this apparently systematic series of cold-blooded executions, mostly conducted in various locations in the Tikrit area, almost certainly amounts to war crimes,” she added.
The militants have also executed 13 cleric in Mosul for refusing to pledge allegiance to ISIL, she said.
“The provocative language used by (ISIL), which has been talking about ‘liquidating herds of sheep’ and inciting sectarian tensions is clearly intended to sow further chaos and bloodshed in the country,” she added.
In the last week, militants have launched a lightning-fast offensive in northern Iraq, seizing the country’s second largest city Mosul, as well as the town Tikrit and other areas, France24 reported.
Earlier in the day, Pillay told reporters that the situation called for comprehensive action. “We want to alert the world to address this immediately,” she said.
Asked if she wanted the situation in Iraq to be referred to the International Criminal Court, she declined to comment and said she first wanted to establish the facts.
The UN also announced on Monday that it had relocated 58 staff members from Iraq’s capital Baghdad to Amman in neighbouring Jordan, adding that more people may be moved in the coming days.
