Return of Remains of ISIL Victims from Mass Grave in Badush, Iraq

The remains of victims of ISIL from a mass grave in Badush are returned during a ceremony organized by the Chief of the Office of Field Investigations of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD). The ceremony took place on Iraq's National Mass Graves Day and aimed to bring some solace to the bereaved families who have been waiting to learn the fate of their loved ones for years. The remains of 78 victims were returned after excavation and identification by the Iraqi Mass Graves Directorate (MGD) and Medico-Legal Directorate (MLD).

UNITAD provided onsite forensic support to the excavations, including assisting with documentation, equipment, research, site protection, excavation, recovery, and evidence preservation. The Team also supported the reference sample gathering campaign in Karbala and Diwanya, which helped identify the victims.

UNITAD was established in February 2018. Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da'esh) captured, controlled and operated with impunity over large parts of territory in Iraq, committing crimes against civilians and communities in these areas. The subsequent liberation of this territory exposed the magnitude of these crimes, including torture, amputations, enslavement, rape, and mass killings, all of which were authorized, promoted, and celebrated by the group. In August 2017, the Government of Iraq called on the international community to provide assistance in ensuring that members of ISIL (Da'esh) were held accountable for their crimes in Iraq. In response, the Investigative Team, UNITAD, was established, mandated to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da'esh) accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence of its crimes in Iraq that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Investigative Team concluded its mandate on 17 September 2024.