Human Rights Watch Criticizes Iraqi Forces' Treatment of ISIS Suspects

Human Rights Watch has criticized videos recently circulated on social media showing the killing and beating of individuals suspected of collaborating with the Islamic State (ISIS). The Associated Press reports that it has seen two of these videos, which were posted on Facebook a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced victory in Mosul. In one video released on Tuesday, Iraqi soldiers throw a man from the edge of a building rooftop and shoot at him after he falls to the ground. In another video, a man dressed in an Iraqi military uniform shoots a man kneeling next to a car. A researcher from Human Rights Watch stated, 'So far, the Iraqi government has not reacted to these horrific killings and abuses, which has reinforced the sense of impunity among military forces regarding their conduct in Mosul.' Human Rights Watch claims that Iraqi security forces have forcibly transferred dozens of women and children suspected of links to ISIS to a camp near Mosul, which officials say was established for the 'rehabilitation' of families of individuals suspected of collaborating with ISIS. This human rights organization states that at least 170 families currently live in this camp, most of whom are women and children from the western neighborhoods of Mosul, the site of the last military confrontations before the city was liberated. Human Rights Watch adds that this special camp was established on Sunday by the local council of Mosul, which stated that 'family members of individuals from the so-called Islamic Caliphate will be sent here for psychological and ideological rehabilitation.' According to the Associated Press, Human Rights Watch, based on interviews with several of these families, reports that these individuals were transferred to the camp against their will, accused of having relatives connected to ISIS. Lama Fakih, a Middle East official at Human Rights Watch, said, 'The Iraqi government should not punish all family members for the actions of these individuals. These repressive actions constitute war crimes and undermine efforts to promote reconciliation in areas reclaimed from the Islamic State.' Human Rights Watch states that this camp has only a mobile clinic and that its other basic services are very limited. The organization cites aid workers in the camp, saying that at least 10 women and children have died from severe thirst during their transfer to the camp or while in the camp itself. The Iraqi government has told Human Rights Watch that a special committee will release those families who have no ties to ISIS after reviewing their backgrounds. In Human Rights Watch's statement, it is mentioned that some local officials and tribal leaders have requested the government to relocate the families of individuals suspected of collaborating with ISIS from this location. Apparently, in recent days, these families have faced various forms of attacks, received threatening letters, and have even been deprived of receiving basic humanitarian aid. The city of Mosul was captured by ISIS in June 2014. After about nine months of operations by the Iraqi armed forces, supported by an international coalition led by the United States, Mosul was liberated, and Haider al-Abadi announced a 'complete victory' in the city on Monday.