“Killing detainees in custody is a war crime. ISIS fighters have in the past displayed an appalling disregard for basic humanity. Anyone who is detained must be treated humanely,” said Donatella Rovera.
The organization has also documented a string of abductions carried out by ISIS targeting minority communities, including Turkmen and Shabak Shi’a, Yezidi and Christians. Sunni Muslims suspected of opposing ISIS have also been targeted. Some of those abducted in recent days have since been found dead.
On 30 June Amnesty International met a 16-year-old boy and a young man, both members of one of Iraq’s minorities, who had been released the previous day. They had spent 10 days in ISIS custody in Mosul and said that they were not subjected to ill-treatment but were encouraged to convert to Islam.
ISIS is not the only party responsible for killing captives in sectarian attacks. Amnesty International has documented mass extrajudicial execution of Sunni detainees by Iraqi government forces and Shi’a militias in recent weeks.
“The conflict in Iraq is rapidly descending into a vengeful and aggressive battle for survival amid mounting sectarian attacks, with parties on all sides unlawfully killing members of other communities,” said Donatella Rovera.
Amnesty International is calling on all parties to the conflict to treat detainees humanely at all times and to make clear to all those under their command that the killing of captives, torture, hostage-taking and other war crimes will not be tolerated.
(Source: Amnesty International)
(Picture: Yezidi Temple in northern Iraq)
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