Between the Millstones: Iraq's Minorities Since the Fall of Mosul
| Publisher | Minority Rights Group International |
| Publication Date | 27 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Minority Rights Group International, Between the Millstones: Iraq's Minorities Since the Fall of Mosul, 27 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55fbcea54.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| 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. |
Minority communities in Iraq have been targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in a systematic strategy to remove them permanently from large areas of Iraq, says a group of human rights organizations in a report launched in Brussels today. The report provides critical information on the legal basis for war crimes prosecutions and follows a hearing on religious minorities in the European Parliament.
'Between the Millstones: Iraq's Minorities Since the Fall of Mosul' is a joint report of Institute of International Law and Human Rights (IILHR), Minority Rights Group International (MRG), No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) focusing on the Christians, Kaka'i, Shabak, Turkmen and Yezidi - who have been most affected by the conflict.
'While military action against ISIS dominates the headlines, to date there has been no serious effort to bring the perpetrators of crimes against minorities to justice,' says William Spencer, Director of IILHR. 'Minorities were first caught by wholesale discrimination and violence well before the arrival of ISIS. Now they face a new threat to their existence from ISIS attacks.'
The report combines eye-witness accounts by members of minorities with legal analysis.
'The research done for this report shows very clearly that ISIS has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide against religious and ethnic minorities in northern Iraq,' adds Alison Smith, Legal Counsel of NPWJ. 'These atrocities cannot go unremarked and unaddressed; the Iraqi Government and the international community have to obtain accountability and redress for the victims.'
Of more than 2 million people displaced since January 2014, a disproportionate number are from ethnic and religious minorities, including Assyrians, Kaka'i, Shabak, Turkmen and Yezidis.
'Many minority communities continue to live under the threat of mass killing in Iraq,' says Mays Al-Juboori, Civilian Rights Officer at MRG.
'The lack of an effective response from the government has left many displaced minorities without adequate food, water, health care, shelter and other needs, with women and children especially vulnerable,' stresses Johanna Green, Programme Manager at UNPO. 'With a looming humanitarian calamity, practical steps to help the millions affected are now urgent.'
The report contains practical recommendations to alleviate the immediate humanitarian crisis and bring about comprehensive legal and social reform to end longstanding marginalization of minorities.
