Videos appear to show killing, beatings by Iraq forces
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 13 July 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Videos appear to show killing, beatings by Iraq forces, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9fb6c38.html [accessed 14 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 13, 2017 20:12 GMT
Videos allegedly shot in the Mosul area appear to show Iraqi forces executing a detainee and brutally beating others, a rights watchdog says.
The videos "appear to show Iraqi soldiers and federal police beating and extrajudicially killing detainees," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on July 13 in a statement that included links to the clips, which were posted on Facebook.
Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State extremist group in Mosul earlier this week after a nearly nine-month battle that left large areas of the city in ruins, killed thousands of civilians and troops, and displaced more than 920,000 people.
In one video, men in Iraqi Army uniforms beat a bearded man, drag him to the edge of a cliff, throw him off, and shoot him and another body at the bottom.
The video appears to have been removed from Facebook but was circulated elsewhere online.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said that if the video of the killing was authentic, those responsible must be brought to justice.
Three other videos, which show men in army and police uniforms beating detainees, were still viewable on Facebook.
"In the final weeks of the battle for west Mosul, I observed firsthand the desire of armed forces to get the battle wrapped up as quickly as possible," HRW's senior Iraq researcher, Belkis Wille, said.
This was accompanied by "what seems to be a resulting decline in their respect for the laws of war," Wille said.
She called on Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to launch investigations of abuses.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and BBC
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
