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STORY: GENEVA / IRAQ REPORT
TRT: 2.22
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 2 OCTOBER 2014, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, UN Human Rights Office Palais Wilson
2. Med shot, Rupert Colville, UN Human Rights Spokesperson set up walking shot
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville Spokesperson United Nations Human Rights:
“This is a devastating report. It just covers a two month period. It covers a litany of crimes committed by ISIL; rapes, murders, mass executions, abductions, destruction of mosques, of shrines, of churches; appalling treatment of women, basically, using, putting women into sexual slavery – children, forced recruitment of children, abuse of children, killing of children and targeting in a widespread and systematic manner a great array of Iraq’s very rich tapestry of ethnic minorities and religious minorities.”
4. Med shot, sculptures at Palais Wilson
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville Spokesperson United Nations Human Rights:
“The report says; I quote: many war crimes and crimes against humanity appear to be being committed.”
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville Spokesperson United Nations Human Rights:
“The High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is calling on the Iraqi government to basically put this situation in front of the International Criminal Court. He is also making a longer term call that Iraq should maybe sign up to the Rome Statute which lies behind the International Criminal Court. But as a more immediate urgent measure to request the court directly to take on the situation as it is now. I think that would be very important, it sets in process court procedures, so some of the people who are committing these atrocious abuses on such a huge scale – one day face justice. Obviously, it will take time. But you need to get that process underway as soon if possible.”
7. Wide shot, Rupert Colville walking into building
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville Spokesperson United Nations Human Rights:
“They had also looked into what the Iraqi government forces are doing and also the militias allied with them. And so there are some disturbing findings there as well. There are civilians who have been killed in air strikes and in shelling by government forces, so we will be urging the government to take great care, obviously they are in an extremely very difficult situation, facing a group like ISIL and their incredibly rapid advance in June and July. But they must take care not to kill civilians themselves.”
9. Med shot, Colville walking into building
The United Nations has released a report on the impact of civilians of the conflict in Iraq citing a “staggering array” of gross human rights abuses committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant known as ISIL.
The joint report by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq documents a litany of serious international humanitarian law violations over a 9-week period between 6 July and 10 September.
Speaking on behalf of the UN Human Rights Office, Spokesperson Rupert Colville described the violations as widespread and systematic, noting that ISIL is deliberately targeting at civilians.
“This is a devastating report. It just covers a two month period. It covers a litany of crimes committed by ISIL; rapes, murders, mass executions, abductions, destruction of mosques, of shrines, of churches.” “Appalling treatment of women, basically, using, putting women into sexual slavery – children, forced recruitment of children, abuse of children, killing of children and targeting in a widespread and systematic manner a great array of Iraq’s very rich tapestry of ethnic minorities and religious minorities.”
Quoting the report, Colville noted that the violations could amount to war crimes. “The report says, I quote: many war crimes and crimes against humanity appear to being committed.”
The UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, called for the violations to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
“The High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is calling on the Iraqi government to basically put this situation in front of the International Criminal Court. He is also making a longer term call that Iraq should maybe sign up to the Rome Statute which lies behind the International Criminal Court. But as a more immediate urgent measure to request the court directly to take on the situation as it is now. I think that would be very important, it sets in process court procedures, so some of the people who are committing these atrocious abuses on such a huge scale – one day face justice. Obviously, it will take time. But you need to get that process underway as soon as possible.”
The report however, describes how civilians have also suffered from government efforts to confront ISIL.
“They had also looked into what the Iraqi government forces are doing and also the militias allied with them. And so there are some disturbing findings there as well. There are civilians who have been killed in air strikes and in shelling by government forces, so we will be urging the government to take great care, obviously they are in an extremely very difficult situation, facing a group like ISIL and their incredibly rapid advance in June and July. But they must take care not to kill civilians themselves.”
The UN Mission in Iraq has said an overall total of at least 9,347 civilians have been killed this year and 17,386 more wounded – well over half of them since ISIL began overrunning large parts of northern Iraq in June.
