The committee of 18 independent experts acknowledged Iraq’s need to adopt measures to combat acts of terrorism. This, especially in light of the grave crimes being committed by the so-called Islamic State (IS), including killings, abductions, enslavement, rape, and torture.
But, it said these horrific acts do not justify the human rights violations reportedly being committed against civilians by Iraqi security forces and allied armed groups in their efforts to defeat IS.
The vice-chair of the committee, Yuji Iwasawa, said the experts are concerned by allegations that police often use torture to extract confessions from people suspected of terrorism and other crimes.