ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations team investigating the Islamic State (ISIS) gave processed information to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday relating to legal measures and procedures for the trial of ISIS suspects, as the team’s mandate in Iraq and the Region nears its end.
The documents consist of “11.9 gigabytes of information and research on legal procedures for the trial of perpetrators of international crimes” committed against the Yazidis and other communities by ISIS, according to a statement from the office of Dindar Zebari, the KRG’s coordinator for international advocacy.
Ana Peyro Llopis, the head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD), handed over the files during a meeting with Zebari.
“[T]he structured version of this information represents a major step forward in our efforts to support the Kurdistan Region's investigative processes. This information is crucial for advancing accountability for the crimes committed by ISIL (Da’esh), both within Iraq and globally,” Llopis said in a statement from UNITAD.
Another version of the information “in its original, unaltered state” was delivered by UNITAD to the KRG in July. The documents consisted of nearly 46 gigabytes of evidence and encrypted information.
UNITAD was established in 2017 to investigate crimes by ISIS. The team’s mandate in Iraq is set to expire on September 17.
During the meeting, Zebari and Llopis discussed the conclusion of UNITAD’s mission, according to the KRG statement.
“The KRG will continue with UNITAD until the end of its mission. In this context, UNITAD has committed to coordination with third countries and requesting assistance after the end of the UNITAD team’s mandate in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” it noted.
The team's work included collecting witness testimonies, leading the exhumation of mass graves, and training Iraq's judiciary. The investigative team has had a difficult relationship with the Iraqi federal government over various issues like information-sharing and Baghdad’s usage of capital punishment.
A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report earlier this month expressed concern that ending UNITAD’s mission would leave a gap that Baghdad cannot adequately fill.
