Iraq: Step Toward Justice for ISIS Child Suspects
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Improved Trials Should Be Replicated
(Beirut) – A special committee of judges to adjudicate cases of children in detention in Iraq for alleged links to the Islamic State (ISIS) during the first half of 2020 appeared to comply with international human rights standards better than other Iraqi courts, Human Rights Watch said today.
Committee records from January to June 2020 that Human Rights Watch reviewed show that it closely reviewed individual cases and ordered the release of 75 alleged child offenders for reasons including lack of evidence and preventing double jeopardy, as well as under provisions of Iraq’s amnesty law.
Improved Trials Should Be Replicated
(Beirut) – A special committee of judges to adjudicate cases of children in detention in Iraq for alleged links to the Islamic State (ISIS) during the first half of 2020 appeared to comply with international human rights standards better than other Iraqi courts, Human Rights Watch said today.
Committee records from January to June 2020 that Human Rights Watch reviewed show that it closely reviewed individual cases and ordered the release of 75 alleged child offenders for reasons including lack of evidence and preventing double jeopardy, as well as under provisions of Iraq’s amnesty law.
“The work of this committee suggests that some Iraqi judges understand how to apply international human rights principles and are doing so even if the rest of the system ignores them,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch. “We hope that the High Judicial Council shares this positive example with courts across