HRW calls on Iraq to exhume mass graves, advance justice

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Iraq to intensify efforts to exhume mass graves of hundreds of thousands of victims of Saddam Hussein’s genocide against the Kurds in 1988 and mass killings by the Islamic State (ISIS), voicing concern that the end of the UN body’s relevant mandate in the country may leave a gap that Baghdad cannot adequately fill.

“To advance justice and accountability for victims and their families, the Iraqi government should intensify efforts to exhume graves, identify victims, return remains to families for proper burials, issue death certificates, and compensate families, as required under Iraqi law,” read a report from HRW on Tuesday.

Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at HRW, described the exhumation of mass graves as “crucial” for the families of victims hoping for justice and healing.

The report was released as the mandate for the UN team in Iraq established to investigate ISIS crimes is set to expire on September 17, and there are concerns by survivors and justice advocates about the transfer of potential evidence and other information to local authorities.

The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) was established in 2017 to investigate the militant group’s crimes, and has supported Baghdad in the excavation of 67 mass graves during that time, including exhuming the bodies of 1,237 victims of the Camp Speicher massacre.
 
On June 12, 2014, around 1,700 Shiite cadets undergoing training at Camp Speicher in Salahaddin’s Tikrit were executed by ISIS militants, who had initially promised them safe passage. In June 2021, UNITAD said that there was “clear and convincing evidence” that the massacre “constituted a number of war crimes under international law.”
 
HRW’s report highlighted the lack of death certificates for victims, compensation for families, and specialized DNA identification laboratories, as main obstacles facing Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, which could be exacerbated with the end of UNITAD’s mission.
 
“The massive caseload coupled with limitations in the Iraqi government’s capacity has meant that for families of victims, the process has been painstakingly slow,” HRW noted.

Hussein’s Anfal campaign against Kurds in Iraq took place over eight phases - beginning in 1986 and reaching its peak in 1988 with the Halabja chemical attack, when 5,000 people were killed instantly and thousands more were left with lingering and debilitating injuries. Over 182,000 Kurds were killed during the campaign.

The remains of around 400,000 people are estimated to be in mass graves across Iraq, reported HRW, a US-headquartered international non-governmental organization, citing the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq.