Report warns Iraq minorities being wiped out
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 27 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Report warns Iraq minorities being wiped out, 27 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55094149c.html [accessed 19 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. |
February 27, 2015
By RFE/RL
Human Rights organizations warn that the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has targeted minority communities in Iraq in a "systematic strategy to remove them permanently" from large parts of the country.
In a report launched on February 27, four nongovernmental organizations detailed summary executions, forced conversions, rape, and other abuses suffered by minorities.
It says such acts are tantamount to war crimes, and in some cases, genocide.
Of more than 2 million people displaced since January 2014, the report says, a "disproportionate number" are from minority ethnic and religious groups, including Christian Assyrians, Kaka'i, Shabak, Turkmen, and Yazidis, fleeing violence and persecution by IS fighters.
IILHR Director William Spencer says minorities were subject to "wholesale discrimination and violence" well before the arrival of the IS group.
"Now they face a new threat to their existence" from IS attacks, he adds.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
