The implementation of Iraq's legal framework is vital for preventing torture and abuse in Iraqi prisons, including in the Kurdistan region, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report released on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) The implementation of Iraq's legal framework is vital for preventing torture and abuse in Iraqi prisons, including in the Kurdistan region, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report released on Tuesday.
"The enactment of an effective legal framework criminalizing torture and implementation of independent national mechanisms for prevention and investigation, as set out in Iraq's five-year Human Rights National Action Plan, would help address the persistent lack of accountability for perpetrators of torture. Compliance with legal obligations and procedural safeguards and the provision of effective remedies to victims of torture will promote change and build trust in the Iraqi legal system," Danielle Bell, the OHCHR Representative in Iraq and chief of UNAMI's Human Rights Office, said.
The agencies interviewed 235 Iraqi detainees from July 1, 2019 through April 30, 2021 and said that more than half of these gave "credible and reliable" accounts of torture while in custody. This number is consistent with patterns documented in the past by UNAMI and other organizations, according to the report.
"I encourage increased efforts towards prevention and accountability, in line with Iraq's obligations under international and domestic law," UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, was quoted as saying.
On July 26, Iraq launched the UN-backed Human Rights National Action Plan in which it committed to adjusting the domestic legislation and policies on human rights to international standards within the next five years.
