03 January 2012

Iraq/Syria: Imminent extradition of Mr Abdullah Moutie from Iraq to Syria despite high risk of torture

Mr Abdullah Ahmed Moutie, aged 31 years and detained in Iraq since 2004, faces imminent extradition to Syria, where he is at great risk of torture. His brother, Mr Obeid Moutie, died under torture in a detention centre in Aleppo, Syria, about a month ago. Should Mr Abdullah Moutie be sent back to Syria, he, too, risks to be subjected to severe ill-treatment and torture.

Mr Moutie was arrested at the border between Syria and Iraq in 2004 and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in 2007 for illegally entering the country. He was serving his term in Nassiriya Prison in Nassiriya, a city about 300km south-east of Baghdad, but was recently transferred to Al Rassafa 2 Prison in Baghdad. The latter is a transit centre where Mr Moutie's extradition is being prepared.

Mr Moutie has asked the Iraqi authorities to be given the possibility of appealing against his extradition and requested his case be examined by a competent judicial authority. His demand was refused and his extradition to Syria is scheduled for the following days.

Alkarama therefore submitted Mr Moutie's case to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and further relevant Special Procedures on 3 january 2012 and asked for the Iraqi authorities to be reminded of their obligation to refrain from extraditing individuals to countries where they would be in danger of being subjected to torture. 

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