Human Rights Watch Protests the Destruction of Arab Homes in Iraq by Kurdish Forces

Human Rights Watch states that the destruction of homes and residences of Iraqi Arab citizens by the security forces of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq could constitute an act equivalent to a 'war crime.' In a report published on November 14, it mentions evidence of 'illegal destruction of homes and residences' of Arab citizens in 21 cities and villages in the disputed areas of Kirkuk and Nineveh between September 2014 and May 2016. The destruction of homes has occurred amid tensions and violence in the region. The security forces of the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish Peshmerga played a significant role in expelling or keeping militants away from northern Iraq following the advances of the group known as the 'Islamic State' in Syria and Iraq. In the wake of ISIS's advances and battles against it, the Kurdistan Region has also sheltered at least one million predominantly Sunni and Arab Iraqi citizens who were displaced from their homes. The Human Rights Watch report is based on over ten local reviews and interviews with 120 witnesses and government officials in the region. Last week, Amnesty International also reported that following recent clashes with the group known as the 'Islamic State,' officials in Kirkuk, under the control of the Kurdistan Region, have 'expelled hundreds of Sunni Arab citizens from their homes in the city.' According to Amnesty International, Kurdish forces have destroyed the homes of hundreds of Arab citizens. It is said that most of the 'expelled' individuals and families have been accused of supporting or collaborating with the militants of the group known as the 'Islamic State' during recent attacks. The Peshmerga forces are currently collaborating with the army and federal police, supported by the U.S.-led coalition, in advancing in Mosul to reclaim the most significant area occupied by ISIS in Iraq. Amnesty International has also accused the Iraqi federal police of 'extrajudicial executions' and torture of several civilians suspected of collaborating with the 'Islamic State' during the Mosul battle. Human rights organizations have repeatedly reported on waves of repression, torture, rape, and executions by the militants of the group known as the Islamic State. The United Nations considers this group a terrorist organization, and several countries around the world, including a group of Syrian rebels, Syrian government forces, their allies, Iraqi forces, and the U.S.-led coalition, conduct attacks against it in both Iraq and Syria.