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iraq

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Author: Minwalla, Sherizaan

Title: Human Trafficking in Iraq: Patterns and Practices in Forced Labor and Sexual Exploitation

Summary: Human trafficking in the form of forced prostitution and labor has long existed in Iraq, as has forced marriage and domestic servitude within the family, tribe and community. Since the 2003 invasion and subsequent civil war, Iraq has increasingly been a source of trafficking victims who are transported to neighboring countries, as well as a destination for foreign workers who are at risk of trafficking and come to Iraq from the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries where poverty is widespread. Furthermore, internal conflict and breakdown in law and order has resulted in a rise in kidnapping and trafficking from one location to another within Iraq. The Iraqi Constitution prohibits forced labor, kidnapping, slavery, slave trade, trafficking in women or children, and the sex trade, and the Government of Iraq ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ("CEDAW"). However Iraqi government officials have overwhelmingly failed to act to prevent abuses and to punish offenders. Iraq has not passed anti-trafficking legislation, allowing traffickers to continue to operate with impunity. Research and preliminary investigations leading to the production of this report indicate that Iraqi women and girls are being subjected to the following types of trafficking: 1) exploitation of prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation; 2) forced labor or services; 3) slavery or practices similar to slavery; and 4) servitude. There are also credible reports of trafficking-related practices such as forced participation in criminal activity. Because of the nature of trafficking, quantitative measurement is inexact even in developed nations with functioning judicial and law enforcement sectors. In Iraq, measuring the scope of trafficking is far more difficult. However, there is ample evidence of established patterns and practices of trafficking, leading to a strong likelihood that hundreds of women have been trafficked over the last five years in the Kurdistan region, and thousands elsewhere in Iraq and in neighboring regions. In accordance with the Iraqi Constitution as well as international treaty obligations, Iraq must develop an effective national and regional counter-trafficking strategy. A comprehensive approach to combating trafficking must include prevention strategies, protection of trafficking victims, and prosecution of traffickers. This is a difficult time for Iraqis as they struggle with ongoing violence and war, as well as ongoing political restructuring in which many issues have yet to be determined. However it is also an opportune time to address trafficking and other serious human rights violations, as Iraq's national and regional governments work to strengthen the rule of law. Addressing problems of trafficking and other forms of gender-motivated violence is integral to this process of reform.

Details: Chicago: Heartland Alliance, 2007. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/whatwedo/advocacy/reports/humantraffickinginiraq.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Forced Labor

Shelf Number: 120823


Author: Marcovich, Malka

Title: Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation and Prostitution of Women and Girls in Iraq

Summary: Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation and Prostitution of Women and Girls in Iraq is particularly based on firsthand knowledge gained through a consultation process with women and women’s organizations in Iraq and the neighboring region, over a period of three years. Many factors combine to promote the rise of sex trafficking and prostitution in the area: the US-led war and the chaos it has generated; the growing insecurity and lawlessness; corruption of authorities; the upsurge in religious extremism; economic hardship; marriage pressures; gender based violence and recurrent discrimination suffered by women; kidnappings of girls and women; the impunity of perpetrators of crimes, especially those against women; and the development of new technologies associated with the globalization of the sex industry. Organizations that have experience aiding victims of gender based violence, who are in contact with women in the brothels and in prisons, and who have done research in the field, as well as reports from international agencies and NGOs, address these factors. Not only war and economic insecurity push women and girls into prostitution but also the social situation of widows and single women who, without resources, are also without social networks and protection. Male violence, including battering of wives, incest and honor crimes are also push factors. Women and children have been the primary victims who have suffered the consequences of both the brutal reign of Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party and the war begun in 2003. The backlash against women and women’s rights and the terrorizing of women has become commonplace. The impotence of authorities has encouraged a culture of impunity in which crimes against women are minimized, neglected and denied. Security is a key issue for both victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and other forms of violence against women, and for those who assist and advocate for victims. This report investigates the factors that promote trafficking in women for prostitution, identifies the obtacles in preventing sexual exploitation and in punishing perpetrators, and recommends ways of addressing violence against women and protecting victims of trafficking and prostitution in Iraq.

Details: Amman, Jordan: Norwegian Church Aid, 2010. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.kirkensnodhjelp.no/PageFiles/726/Report,%20Trafficking%20in%20Iraq%20(PDF).pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Child Prostitution

Shelf Number: 120825


Author: Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)

Title: Prostitution and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Iraq

Summary: In spite of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) background on women's rights, we did not expect nor comprehend the extent of the problem when we received reports of the kidnapping of women and girls in Baghdad in May 2003. When we started to gather reports from Baghdad neighborhoods the following summer, the numbers were shocking. We expressed our dismay to the media and fearing that a new and vicious era has attacked the women of Iraq. OWFI learned that trafficking of women is the hidden face of war, insecurity and chaos. In those days, we sympathized with women who were forced or maybe sold into prostitution. We did not have the same consideration for women who were already prostituted in brothels. We thought of them as the unfortunate margins of the society. It was only in 2006, that we noticed an epidemic rise in the number of women who prostituted for a living, whether in formal brothels, inregular working places, or in a hidden neighborhood hideaway. The numbers were obviously no longer something we could consider an unfortunate marginal minority. It was only then that we, in OWFI, decided to investigate the extent prostitution in Iraq, in order to better understand the underground industry of trafficking which thrives on the exploitation of women's flesh. We also needed to gather some background information about the history of prostitution and trafficking in Iraq. Our efforts started with documenting kidnappings in the first years, but gradually expanded into searching for places where girls and women are sold. We found ourselves documenting prostitution houses where the actual buying and selling take place. Eventually, it was impossible to separate one issue from the other. After confronting officials throughout 2008 and 2009 about the issue of trafficking, OWFI developed a reputation of a fierce defendant of women's integrity against the war-time disasters. As a result, eye-witnesses and the victims of trafficking began contacting OWFI with their stories. Some reports were of incidents too big for OWFI to handle. For example, distressed witnesses reported the kidnapping and trafficking 128 women from the city of Diyala in 2007. Following an interview with OWFI activist on MBC TV, the government campaigned against OWFI starting in May 2009 with active attacks over the public Al Iraqia television, and intervened to stop the airing of televised broadcasts where OWFI sought to tell the trafficking story. Frankly, we were intimidated and scared. Moreover, OWFI was advised by allies that publishing these facts may jeopardize our lives as we are touching onto one of the biggest industries in the world, and a new and thriving one in Iraq. We decided to be silent, stay safe, and keep our information to ourselves. OWFI could not maintain that position for long. A visit to the female juvenile prison in Baghdad in January 2010 reminded us that OWFI served an important mission that required courage, but facing our fears. It was the faces of 12 year old Mena and her sister that reminded us or our responsibilities. They were imprisoned after being sent back from the Arab Emirates as "prostitutes." Meeting those two children and hearing their stories was a heavy experience for the activists of OWFI. Some rushed out crying; some promised to help; while others hardened their resolve to document and reveal these crimes against the women or Iraq, including innocent young girls. Innocent girls who should still be enjoying childhood under the protection of their mothers were being incarcerated for the crime of prostitution, an ordeal in which they were modern-day slaves. At this point, we do not know if the numbers of Iraqi teenaged trafficking victims of the recent years are in the thousands, or tens of thousands. We do know that the Iraqi government does not want to hear the facts nor acknowledge the sufferings. Lawmakers do not feel an urgency to eradicate the crime of trafficking. One recent letter from an informed OWFI supporter gave us the ultimate push to publicize the facts. He had previously forwarded us a report which was too big to handle. That letter said, "You need to do something. The women and their families need to know that someone stands with them. The fact that 128 young women from Diyala were exported into sexual slavery within a few months cannot pass unnoticed. The traffickers and their official partners are set free while the trafficked women and their families suffer in silence, from shame and slavery… The case just cannot be closed".

Details: New York: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, United Nations Office, 2010. 84p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2011 at: http://www.peacewomen.org/assets/file/Resources/NGO/dispvaw_prostitutiontraffickingiraqwomen_owfi_march2010.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Child Sex Trafficking

Shelf Number: 121724


Author: Perito, Robert M.

Title: The Iraq Federal Police: U.S. Police Building under Fire

Summary: This report chronicles U.S. efforts to train and equip an indigenous constabulary force to control insurgent and militia violence in Iraq. The United States does not have constabulary forces. In earlier conflicts, the United States called upon the United Nations or European allies to provide a gendarmerie. In Iraq, the UN police forces that were a feature of peace operations in the Balkans were not available, leaving the United States with only one option — to develop an Iraqi constabulary force under fire.

Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2011. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report: Accessed October 26, 2011 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/SR291_The_Iraq_Federal_Police.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Police Reform

Shelf Number: 123147


Author: Amnesty International

Title: Escape from Hell: Torture and Sexual Slavery in Islamic State Captivity in Iraq

Summary: As they swept through large parts of northern Iraq, fighters with the armed group calling itself "Islamic State" (IS) systematically targeted members of non-Arab and non-Sunni Muslim communities, as well as Sunni Muslims who oppose them. But even within the context of its persecution of minority groups and Shi'a Muslims, the IS has singled out the Yezidi minority, notably its women and children, for particularly brutal treatment. In August 2014, IS fighters abducted hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yezidi men, women and children who were fleeing the IS takeover from the Sinjar region, in the north-west of the country. Hundreds of the men were killed and others were forced to convert to Islam under threat of death. Younger women and girls, some as young as 12, were separated from their parents and older relatives and sold, given as gifts or forced to marry IS fighters and supporters. Many have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, and have likewise been pressured into converting to Islam. Up to 300 of those abducted, mostly women and children, have managed to escape IS captivity, while the majority continue to be held in various locations in Iraq and in parts of Syria controlled by the IS. They are moved frequently from place to place. Some are able to communicate with their displaced relatives in areas outside IS control but the fate and whereabouts of others are not known. Some of the women and girls who have escaped IS captivity, as well as some of those who remain captive, have given harrowing accounts to Amnesty International of the torture and abuses they have suffered.

Details: London: AI, 2014. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: https://www.es.amnesty.org/uploads/media/Escape_from_hell_-_Torture_and_sexual_slavery_in_Islamic_State_captivity_in_Iraq_-_English.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Rape

Shelf Number: 134581


Author: Financial Action Task Force

Title: Financing of the Terrorist Organisation Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant

Summary: The mandate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was expanded in 2001 to address the funding of terrorists acts and terrorist organisations. Since that time, combatting terrorist financing (TF) has been a very significant challenge. Important work was done in 2008 to identify a wide variety of TF methods terrorists use to raise, move and use funds. That study addressed the terrorist requirement for funds to include direct costs associated with specific operations and broader organisational costs to maintain infrastructure and promote ideology for the terrorist organisation. Given the rapid development of the terrorist organisation Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), there is a need to understand those funding requirements and associated TF risk. This study represents a snapshot of the revenue sources and financial activities of ISIL been identified to date. However, gaps remain and more work is needed to develop the full picture of ISIL's financial activities and to identify the most effective countermeasures to prevent ISIL from using accumulated funds and disrupting sources of funding. ISIL financing is a constantly changing picture and a very difficult and complicated area to address given the operational situation on the ground. It should be emphasized that terrorism and those who support terrorism can never be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group. ISIL represents a new form of terrorist organisation where funding is central and critical to its activities. This report identifies ISIL's primary sources of revenue which are mainly derived from illicit proceeds from its occupation of territory. These sources include bank looting and extortion, control of oil fields and refineries and robbery of economic assets. Other sources include the donors who abuse Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), Kidnapping for Ransom (KFR) and cash smuggling (areas where FATF has conducted in-depth research), to new and emerging typologies which have not yet been addressed by the FATF, such as the extortion of goods and cash transiting territory where ISIL operates and grass-root funding strategies. A number of unique and diverse "case studies" have been provided by countries which describe how ISIL obtains funding and economic support as well as describing mechanisms to utilize these funds. The need for vast funds to meet organisational and governance requirements represents a vulnerability to ISIL's infrastructure. In order to maintain its financial management and expenditures in areas where it operates, ISIL must be able to seize additional territory in order to exploit resources. It is unclear if ISIL's revenue collection through the illicit proceeds it earns from occupation of territory, including extortion and theft, will be sustainable over time. Cutting off these vast revenue streams is both a challenge and opportunity for the global community to defeat this terrorist organisation. While insight into ISIL's oil-related activities is limited, this report provides a snapshot of ISIL's control of gas and oil reservoirs. While this revenue stream was significant after ISIL's initial control of numerous oil fields, their ability to efficiently extract oil, refine it and sell petroleum products have significantly diminished ISIL's earnings. This is need for refined crude and declining oil prices. There have been efforts to suppress the sale of ISIL oil and oil products on regional markets, such as enhanced counter smuggling efforts of the Turkish authorities in the past two years, as well as recent steps taken by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi Government authorities to seize suspected ISIL-related shipments of oil and oil products. This has reduced oil's importance relative to other sources of revenue. There is still a need to better identify the origin, middlemen, buyers, carriers, traders and routes through which oil produced in ISIL-held territory is trafficked. This report provides limited insight into the role of financial institutions and Money and Value Transfer Services (MVTS) in ISIL-held territory as well as the role of the larger international financial sector. However, a significant portion of the data related to this subject is of a sensitive nature and could not be included in this public report. There is a risk that MVTS companies in ISIL held territory continue to maintain connections to regional counterparts through which ISIL could conduct funds transfers. At the same time, both the Iraqi government and many major global financial institutions have taken steps to prevent banks in ISIL-held territory from accessing the international financial system.due to coalition air strikes, ISIL.

Details: Paris: FATF, 2015. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 29, 2016 at: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Financing-of-the-terrorist-organisation-ISIL.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Islamic State

Shelf Number: 137994


Author: Mercy Corps

Title: Investing in Iraq's Peace: How Good Governance Can Diminish Support for Violent Extremism

Summary: According to new Mercy Corps research, the success of armed groups in Iraq - such as the Islamic State (ISIS) - is rooted less in deep-seated sectarianism than in poor governance. Where the government is perceived to be unjust, support for non-state armed actors among marginalized groups is high. But support for groups like ISIS can shift quickly and dramatically when public perceptions of government institutions and services improve. Forging a just, peaceful future for Iraq will require a comprehensive good governance approach. Building on a series of nationwide public opinion surveys between 2013 and 2015, and in-depth interviews with Iraqi citizens, youth, internally displaced persons (IDPs), civil society leaders, government officials, and activists, this report finds that improving governance in Iraq will require new partnerships with civil society. The timing has never been better: civil society is gaining acceptance in Iraq and is increasingly seen as bridging the gap between citizens and government. But the clock is ticking. The rise of sectarian militias will likely present new challenges to the future of a cohesive state. Donor support for civil society and good governance in Iraq is waning. Meanwhile, popular goodwill toward the current government may diminish if meaningful reforms are not implemented. In popular demonstrations throughout the country, thousands of Iraqi youth have, in recent months, peacefully advocated for an end to sectarianism and corruption. Iraq must capitalize on this energy, or it risks antagonizing a new generation. Key findings 1. Poor governance that results in injustice, real or perceived, is a key driver of conflict: Iraq's instability is rooted in poor governance, not in ancient group rivalries. When marginalized groups begin to believe the government is going to be more responsive and fair, support for armed violence decreases. 2. While sectarianism is often incorrectly credited for being the main source of conflict, it is nonetheless a threat to future stability: As the violent conflict continues or escalates, sectarian divisions have the potential to increase as political opportunists-both domestic and foreign - stoke tensions to gain power. 3. Civil society is vital to improving governance and advancing reconciliation: Though civil society is playing a critical role bridging the gap between citizens and government, the key question is whether, in the face of rising expectations and frustrations, it can direct new energies into nonviolent change. 4. Iraqi youth, too often side-lined, are of vital importance to governance and civil society efforts: Iraq's political, social and economic future hinges on its youth. Building a peaceful future for Iraq will require empowering the country's youth and positively channeling their energies. Recommendations - Build a stronger cooperative relationship between civil society and government on key policy issues by formalizing relations with civil society actors and encouraging donors to commit multi-year investments in Iraqi civil society. - Improve the capacity of local actors to play an active role in good governance by engaging civil society partners more deeply in informing programs, and facilitating stronger relationships between youth activities and civil society. - Avert further conflict by ensuring governance investments are long-term and informed by local feedback, strengthening Iraq's Reconciliation Committee, and continuing to improve government responsiveness and accountability.

Details: Portland, OR: Mercy Corps, 2016. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Investing%20in%20Iraqs%20Peace_Final%20Report.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Extremist Groups

Shelf Number: 139390


Author: Johnston, Patrick B.

Title: Foundations of the Islamic State: Management, Money, and Terror in Iraq, 2005-2010

Summary: Foundations of the Islamic State: Management, Money, and Terror in Iraq, 2005-2010 draws from more than 140 recently declassified documents to present a comprehensive examination of the organization, territorial designs, management, personnel policies, and finances of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI), both predecessors of the Islamic State. These records paint a clear picture of ISI practices and standard operating procedures. Leadership consciously designed the organization not just to fight but also to build an Islamic state governed by the laws dictated by its strict Islamist ideology. ISI was a vertically integrated organization with a central management structure and functional bureaus. It sought to replicate these structures at multiple lower geographic levels across territory. Each geographic unit had substantial autonomy to pursue the group's strategic objectives but was required to send frequent reports to the group's leadership; the central organization used these reports to inform decisions and provide strategic guidance. ISI paid its personnel a wage that would draw true believers rather than opportunists; trained and allocated its membership with an eye toward group effectiveness; raised revenues locally through diversified sources; and was able to maintain itself, albeit at much reduced strength, in the face of a withering counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategy put in place by its opponents, starting in late 2006. An analysis of the Islamic State predecessor groups is more than a historical recounting. The lessons from examining the group's history are useful for setting expectations about the strengths and vulnerabilities of the Islamic State and its ability to combat its opponents, designing a coordinated and effective campaign against it, and understanding why it might be able to survive such an effort and sustain itself in the future, albeit perhaps at a lower level of threat. Defeating the Islamic State will require persistence. The record of counter-ISI operations from 2006 through 2010 shows that military action and political accommodation can work together to degrade the group substantially, if not defeat it.

Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2016. 348p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1192.html

Year: 2016

Country: Iraq

Keywords: ISIS

Shelf Number: 139437


Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Title: Cultural Property: Protection of Iraqi and Syrian Antiquities

Summary: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other groups have seized upon the conflicts in Iraq and Syria to destroy, loot, and traffic cultural property, including antiquities. According to the United Nations (UN), this destruction and looting has reached unprecedented levels. The UN has also reported that since the civil war in Syria began in 2011, ISIS has used the sale of looted Iraqi and Syrian cultural property to generate income to strengthen its capabilities to carry out attacks. Under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, signed into law in 1983, and other laws, the United States has restricted the importation of certain, but not all, Iraqi and Syrian cultural property. GAO was asked to examine the protection of Iraqi and Syrian cultural property, including views of art market experts. This report describes (1) activities undertaken by U.S. agencies and the Smithsonian Institution to protect Iraqi and Syrian cultural property since 2011, and (2) art market experts' suggestions for improving U.S. government activities. GAO reviewed documents and interviewed U.S., international, and foreign officials. GAO interviewed a nongeneralizable sample of U.S.-based art market experts representing different categories of the art market to obtain suggestions for potentially improving U.S. government activities. GAO then asked experts to rate the importance of these suggestions and obtained U.S. officials' views on experts' top-rated suggestions.

Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2016. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: GAO-16-673: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/679061.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Antiquities

Shelf Number: 140094


Author: Amnesty International

Title: 'Punished for Daesh's Crime': Displaced Iraqis Abused by Militias and Government Forces

Summary: Paramilitary militias and government forces in Iraq have committed serious human rights violations, including war crimes, by torturing, arbitrarily detaining, forcibly disappearing and extrajudicially executing thousands of civilians who have escaped areas controlled by the armed group calling itself the Islamic State (IS), said Amnesty International in a new report published today. The report 'Punished for Daesh's crimes': Displaced Iraqis abused by militias and government forces exposes the terrifying backlash against civilians fleeing IS-held territory, raising alarm about the risk of mass violations as the military operation to recapture the IS-held city of Mosul gets underway. The report is based on interviews with more than 470 former detainees, witnesses and relatives of those killed, disappeared or detained, as well as officials, activists, humanitarian workers and others. After escaping the horrors of war and tyranny of IS, Sunni Arabs in Iraq are facing brutal revenge attacks at the hands of militias and government forces, and are being punished for crimes committed by the group," said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. "Iraq is currently facing very real and deadly security threats from IS, but there can be no justification for extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture or arbitrary detention. "As the battle to retake Mosul begins, it is crucial that the Iraqi authorities take steps to ensure these appalling abuses do not happen again. States supporting military efforts to combat IS in Iraq must demonstrate they will not continue to turn a blind eye to violations." The report highlights widespread revenge attacks and discrimination faced by Sunni Arabs suspected of being complicit in IS crimes or supporting the group. Many were displaced during major military operations in 2016 across the country, including in Falluja and surrounding areas (in the governorate of Anbar), al-Sharqat (Salah al-Din governorate), Hawija (Kirkuk governorate) and around Mosul (Ninewa governorate). The predominantly Shi’a militias involved in abuses, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, have long been backed by the Iraqi authorities, which have provided them with financial support and weapons. They were officially designated part of the Iraqi forces in February 2016. The government's responsibility for these violations cannot be ignored and states supporting or participating in the ongoing military effort to combat IS in Iraq should have rigorous checks in place to ensure that any support or equipment they provide does not contribute to abuses. Mass abductions, killings and torture Amnesty International's research reveals that war crimes and other gross human rights violations were committed by predominantly Sh'ia militias, and possibly government forces, during operations to retake Falluja and surrounding areas from IS in May and June 2016. In one shocking incident at least 12 men and four boys from the Jumaila tribe who fled al-Sijir, north of Falluja, were extrajudicially executed after they handed themselves in to men wearing military and federal police uniforms on 30 May. Men and older boys were separated from the women and younger children before being lined up and shot dead. At least 73 other men and older boys from the same tribe were seized a few days earlier and are still missing.

Details: London: AI, 2016. 70p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2016 at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/punished_for_daeshs_crimes.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Extrajudicial Executions

Shelf Number: 145773


Author: Human Rights Watch

Title: "Everyone Must Confess:" Abuses Against Children Suspected of ISIS Affiliation in Iraq

Summary: Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities have arrested thousands of children for alleged affiliation with ISIS, used torture to coerce confessions, and have convicted hundreds of children of terrorism in hasty, unfair trials. Children may be prosecuted for any association with ISIS, including working as a cook or driver, or taking part in a religious training course. They may be detained in prison for years, with no access to rehabilitation or education. "Everyone Must Confess": Abuses against Children Suspected of ISIS Affiliation in Iraq is based on Human Rights Watch research conducted since 2016, including interviews conducted in November 2018 with 29 boys and youth who had been detained for alleged ISIS association by the KRG, family members of 8 other children who had been arrested by Iraqi authorities as ISIS suspects, child protection advocates, local lawyers, and other legal experts. The consequences of Iraqi and KRG punitive policies are profound, creating long-term stigma, family separation, displacement, and severely limiting youths' ability to reintegrate into society and support themselves. Once branded as ISIS, these children fear revenge attacks if they return home after their release from detention. Children who have been arrested and detained by Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq risk re-arrest by Iraqi forces if they return to areas falling under Baghdad's control. Some child ISIS suspects believe they have no option beyond living indefinitely in camps for displaced persons or leaving the country.

Details: New York, NY: Human Rights Watch, 2019. 59p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2019 at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/03/06/everyone-must-confess/abuses-against-children-suspected-isis-affiliation-iraq

Year: 2019

Country: Iraq

Keywords: At-risk Youth

Shelf Number: 155141


Author: Sathyanarayanan, Sunethra

Title: Iraq - Country Overview. A report on the scale, scope and context of the sexual exploitation of children

Summary: Iraq has a total population of more than 37 million, of which 47% are children. Years of conflict, including insurgency from the militant group Da'esh (also known as ISIL) and hosting up to 250,00 refugees from neighbouring Syria, have exacerbated the range of risks that children face, including to sexual exploitation. Boys and girls from persecuted groups have faced high levels of sexual violence and exploitation either through recruitment into ISIL forces or through sexual enslavement by its members. Other children resorted to survival sex in desperation to escape the environment of violence and abuse and the lack of livelihood opportunities. Poverty and extremely limited opportunities force people, including boys and girls into exploitative conditions in order to survive or provide for their families. Boys have reported being required to provide sexual services to receive their wages in some working conditions. Girls escaping violence, abuse, forced marriages or so-called 'honour killings' are exploited by recruiters. Details of elaborate systems established for trafficking women and girls have been reported in areas previously controlled by ISIL. National law enforcement and protection systems are stretched beyond breaking point, which has led to situations that allow child sex offenders to abuse with impunity. Instances of sexual exploitation of children through prostitution have been reportedly protected by complicit police and security forces. Instances of IDP and refugee At a Glance camp administrators have also been exposed as demanding sex, including with children, for food. Sharp increases in access to technology see 80% of 15-year olds having access to a mobile phone, with many also online via these devices. Risks are increased from the big generational gap in Internet use meaning parents are unaware of the risks to online sexual exploitation that children face. Cases of sexual extortion where perpetrators threaten to expose private images have been reported that can lead to ongoing instances of sexual exploitation or even trafficking. Since the retreat of ISIL forces in 2017, tourism has surged, particularly in the more stable Kurdistan Region of Iraq region, with tourist numbers hitting 1.3 million within the first half of 2018. As tourism grows, so may sexual exploitation of children in this context. While the legal age for marriage is 18, many marriages are conducted outside the formal legal system without registration, meaning child marriage rates are likely to be higher than the roughly 24% of girls that has been reported. Child marriage can be viewed as a protection mechanism. For example, it was used to prevent girls being married to men associated with ISIL, or families in poverty benefit from bride price. Fasliya marriages (gifting a female to another tribe through marriage) are also practiced in some areas, particularly the south of the country.

Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International, 2019. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2019 at: https://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Iraq-ECPAT-International-Country-Overview-Report-2019.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Child Marriage

Shelf Number: 155622


Author: Westcott, Tom

Title: Sanctions and smuggling. Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran's border economics

Summary: With new sanctions placed on Iran in August 2018, a long-standing network of smugglers who, for decades, have facilitated the transportation of contraband from Iraqi Kurdistan to Iran are reaping the benefits. This report focuses on Iraqi Kurdish smugglers who transport goods to the border with Iran, and Iranian Kurdish couriers who, undertaking the most dangerous part of the journey, carry the goods across the border. Often featuring dramatic images of couriers setting forth on foot over challenging mountainous terrain carrying goods that many people would struggle to lift, let alone transport for up to 16 hours, this story has been covered by international media. But there has been no study relating specifically to how these renewed sanctions on Iran are affecting this smuggling trade. Nor has there been any in-depth study on the types of goods - from wholesale foodstuffs and electrical items to weapons and narcotics - that are smuggled across this border region. This report examines the impact of the sanctions on Iran in terms of how they may continue to fuel commodity smuggling while enriching the criminal networks behind this illicit trade.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2019. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2019 at: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/TGIATOC-Report-Sanctions-Iraq-Iran-05Apr1300-Web.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: Iraq

Keywords: Contraband

Shelf Number: 155690