Iraq - Latest Publications

IRQ - News

Iraq: Enforced Disappearance of Taekwondo Federation President, Al Zabidi for Over 8 Years

IRQ - News | 15 October 2014

On 24 September 2014, Alkarama and Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly wrote to the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (WGEID) to alert them on the case of Jamal AbdulKareemKazar Al Zabidi, President of the Taekwondo Federation and member of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, disappeared since his arrest by members of the Iraqi military forces on 15 July 2006.

Iraq: Alkarama Briefs State Delegations on its Priority Recommendations Ahead of Iraq’s Universal Periodic Review

IRQ - News | 10 October 2014

On 8 and 9 October 2014, Alkarama briefed country representatives on its priority recommendations in view of Iraq's Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which will be held in Geneva on 3 November 2014. Alkarama presented the key issues which need to be urgently addressed by Iraq, in particular torture, enforced disappearances, the flaws in the Iraqi judicial system, including the excessive the practice of arbitrary executions, and violations committed in the name of the fight against terrorism – all of which were identified in Alkarama's last report.

Iraq: Authorities Deny Al Aseymi’s Disappearance Despite Video Footage

IRQ - News | 06 October 2014

Alkarama, in collaboration with Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly, sent a communication to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) to highlight the disappearance of Mohammed Al Aseymi, together with his three sons and nephew, since his abduction by pro-government militia in 2006.

Iraq: Ominous Disappearance of Retired Air Force Pilot

IRQ - News | 17 September 2014

On 15 September 2014, Alkarama and Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly sent a joint urgent appeal to the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances concerning the abduction of Riad Abdel Majeed Al Obeidi, a former Air Force Brigade pilot, in Al A'amiriya on 1 June 2014. Having not been seen since, his family fears that he be tortured or ill-treated, particularly after he managed to contact them, from his detention place, in mid-June.

Iraq: Four Security Officers of Former Vice-President Al Hashimi Arbitrarily Detained on Basis of False Confessions Obtained Under Torture

IRQ - News | 21 August 2014

On 5 August 2014, Alkarama sent a communication to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to call upon the Iraqi authorities to end the arbitrary detention of four security officers by releasing them immediately. Ghassan Al Kubaisi, Omar Al Noaemy, Abdulrazak Al Duleimi and Uday Al Ithawi were all arrested between December 2011 and January 2012, severely tortured and forced to make false confessions, on the basis of which they were later sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI). Today, these four individuals are still detained in Al Baladiyat Prison in extremely poor and inhumane conditions of detention.

Iraq - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Ratified on 25.01.1971
Optional Protocol: No

Last State report: 11.10.2013
Last concluding observations: 19.11.1997

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 07.07.2011
Optional Protocol: No
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

Last State report: 30.06.2014
Last concluding observations: 17.09.2015

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

CED: Accessed on 23.11.2010
Art. 33 (Inquiry procedure): Yes

Last State report: 26.06.2014
Last concluding observations: 18.09.2015

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 11.2014 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

Independent High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) – Status B