HUMANRIGHTS OfficeoftheUnitedNations HighCommissionerfor HumanRights UNAMI UnitedNationsAssistanceMission forIraq­HumanRightsOffice Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq: 1 May ­31 October 2015 "Despitetheirsteadylossestoprogovernmentforces,thescourgeofISILcontinuestokill,maimand displaceIraqiciviliansinthethousandsandtocauseuntoldsuffering.Istronglyreiteratemycallto allpartiesoftheconflicttoensuretheprotectionofciviliansfromtheeffectsofviolence.Ialsocallon theinternationalcommunitytoenhanceitssupporttotheGovernmentofIraq'shumanitarian, stabilisationandreconstructioneffortsinareasretakenfromISIL,sothatallIraqisdisplacedby violencecanreturntotheirhomesinsafetyandindignityandthataffectedcommunitiescanbe reestablishedintheirplacesoforigin." -Mr.JánKubis SpecialRepresentativeoftheUnitedNationsSecretary-GeneralinIraq,5January2016,Baghdad "ArmedviolencecontinuestotakeanobscenetollonIraqiciviliansandtheircommunities.The GovernmentofIraq,supportedbytheinternationalcommunity,mustcontinueitseffortstoprovide appropriatecareandprotectionforthehundredsofthousandsofcivilianswhohavesufferedfrom humanrightsviolationsandabuses.Theinternationalcommunity,includingtheUnitedNations SecurityCouncilandtheHumanRightsCouncil,shouldcontinuetocloselyfollowthesituationinIraq withaviewtoensuringthatperpetratorsofgrossviolationsandabusesofhumanrightsandserious violationsofinternationalhumanitarianlawareheldaccountable." -Mr.ZeidRa'adAlHussein UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRights,5January2016,Geneva Contents Summary............................................................................................................................i Introduction......................................................................................................................1 Methodology.....................................................................................................................1 Background.......................................................................................................................2 Legalframework................................................................................................................4 Impactoftheconflictoncivilians.......................................................................................5 Civiliancasualties.....................................................................................................................................5 Conflict-relateddisplacementofcivilians................................................................................................6 Accesstobasicservicesandhumanitarianassistance.............................................................................7 ViolationsandabusescommittedbyISIL...........................................................................8 Killingsandabductions ............................................................................................................................8 . Conductofoperations...........................................................................................................................14 Attacksonindividualsonthebasisofsexualorientation......................................................................17 Attacksonwomenandchildren............................................................................................................17 Attacksonethnicandreligiousminoritycommunities .........................................................................19 . Denialofotherfundamentalrightsandfreedoms................................................................................19 Restrictionsonfreedomofmovement..................................................................................................20 Unlawfulkillings.....................................................................................................................................21 Abductions.............................................................................................................................................22 Attacksagainstethnicandreligiouscommunities.................................................................................23 Conductofoperations...........................................................................................................................23 Unlawfulkillings.....................................................................................................................................27 Abductions.............................................................................................................................................28 Bombingsofciviliansandcivilianinfrastructureandproperty..............................................................29 Shelling...................................................................................................................................................29 ViolationsandabusescommittedbyIraqisecurityforcesandassociatedforces..............20 Violationsandabusescommittedbyunidentifiedactors.................................................27 Massgraves.....................................................................................................................30 Conclusionsandrecommendations .................................................................................31 . Annex1:Glossary............................................................................................................35 Summary This Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq is published jointly by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the United Nations High CommissionerforHumanRights(OHCHR).Itcoverstheperiodof1Mayto31October2015. Civilianscontinuetosufferthemostfromfromthenon-internationalarmedconflictinIraq.From1 January2014through31October2015,UNAMI/OHCHRrecordedatleast55,047civiliancasualties asaresultoftheconflict,with18,802peoplekilledand36,245wounded. During the reporting period, from 1 May to 31 October 2015, the ongoing violence caused a minimumof10,911civiliancasualties,killingatleast3,855personsandwounding7,056.Baghdad was the most affected governorate, with a minimum of 6,168 civilian casualties (1,875 killed and 4,293wounded),followedbyAnbar(452killedand1,421wounded)andDiyala(658killedand918 wounded). OwingtodifficultiesinundertakingverificationofincidentsrecordedbyUNAMI/OHCHR,theactual number of civilian causalities could be much higher than recorded. Figures for casualties in Anbar Governorate (which cover the full reporting period except for October 2015) were provided by the AnbarHealthDirectorateandmightnotfullyreflecttheactualnumberofcasualtiesinthoseareas duetotheincreasedvolatilityofthesituationthereandthedisruptionofservices. Inaddition,thenumberofcivilianswhohavediedfromthesecondaryeffectsofarmedconflictand violence­suchaslackofaccesstobasicfood,waterormedicalcare­isunknown. Civilians continue to flee their homes and communities in massive numbers. From January 2014 through 29 September 2015, a total of 3,206,736 persons became internally displaced in Iraq, includingover1millionschoolagegirlsandboys.87percentoftheseinternallydisplacedpersons (IDPs)originatefromthreegovernorates­Anbar,Ninewa,andSalahal-Din.Thepersistentviolence and scale of the displacement continue to impact IDPs' access to basic services, such as housing, cleanwaterandeducation. TheviolencesufferedbyciviliansinIraqremainsstaggering.Theso-called"IslamicStateofIraqand the Levant" (ISIL) continues to commit systematic and widespread violence and abuses of internationalhumanrightslawandhumanitarianlaw.Theseactsmay,insomeinstances,amountto warcrimes,crimesagainsthumanity,andpossiblygenocide.1 Duringthereportingperiod,ISILkilledandabductedscoresofcivilians,ofteninatargetedmanner. VictimsincludethoseperceivedtobeopposedtoISILideologyandrule;personsaffiliatedwiththe Government, such as former Iraqi security forces (ISF), police officers, former public officials and electoral workers; professionals, such as doctors and lawyers; journalists; and tribal and religious leaders.Othershavebeenabductedand/orkilledonthepretextofaidingorprovidinginformationto Governmentsecurityforces.ManyhavebeensubjectedtoadjudicationbyISILself-appointedcourts which,inadditiontoorderingthemurderofcountlesspeople,haveimposedgrimpunishmentssuch asstoningandamputations. ISIL continues to target members of different ethnic and religious communities, systematically persecuting these groups and subjecting them to a range of abuses and violations. These acts exemplify ISIL apparent policy of suppressing, permanently expelling, or destroying some communities. Women and children remain particularly vulnerable, with ongoing reports of sexual 1 See Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups of 13 March 2015, A/HRC/28/18. Available online at < http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session28/Documents/A_HRC_28_18_AUV.doc#st hash.nSedR2BP.dpuf>accessed10November2015. i violence,includingsexualslavery,andtheforciblerecruitmentanduseofchildreninhostilities.ISIL severelyrestrictsallfundamentalrightsandfreedomsacrossallareasunderitscontrol. ISIL has continued to attack civilian and protected objects in the conduct of its operations. Sites of religiousandculturalsignificanceareparticularlytargeted.Civilianhomeshavealsobeendestroyed, sometimesbecausetheybelongedtomembersofgroupstargetedbyISIL,ortorelativesorperceived sympathizersofthosefightingISIL.Reportsontheuseofchemicalweaponscontinuetobereceived, althoughthesecouldnotbeverifiedbyUNAMI/OHCHR. UNAMI/OHCHR also continued to receive reports of violations and abuses of international human rightsandviolationsofinternationalhumanitarianlawbyISFandassociatedforces,includingmilitia andtribalforces(Shi'a,Sunniandothers),popularmobilizationunits(PMUs),andPeshmerga(proGovernmentforces). Concerning reports have been received of unlawful killings and abductions perpetrated by proGovernment forces. Some of these incidents may have been reprisals against persons perceived to supportorbeassociatedwithISIL. Moreover, as civilians move around the country, fleeing violence, they have continued to face Governmentrestrictionsontheirabilitytoaccesssafeareas.Oncetheyreachsuchareas,somehave experiencedarbitraryarrestinraidsbysecurityforcesandothershavebeenforciblyexpelled. Theconductofpro-Governmentforces'operationsraisesconcernthattheyarecarriedoutwithout taking all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects. In particular, UNAMI/OHCHRcontinuedtoreceivereportsofciviliancasualtiescausedbyairstrikes.Reportshave also been received of pro-Government forces apparently deliberately destroying civilian infrastructure. In a number of cases, it has been impossible to identify the perpetrators of violations and abuses committed, largely within liberated areas under Government control, during the reporting period. Theseincludeinstancesofmurder,intimidationandthreats,abductions,andtheuseofimprovised explosivedevices,vehicle-bornimprovisedexplosivedevices,andsuicidebomberstotargetcivilians orcivilianinfrastructure. Serious concerns for the well-being of civilians, particularly the most vulnerable, persist. Parties to the conflict must take all feasible precautions to protect civilians from the effect of hostilities and takeallnecessarymeasurestorespect,protect,andmeetthebasicneedsofthecivilianpopulation. Violationsandabusesofinternationalhumanrightsandhumanitarianlawmustbeinvestigatedby theGovernmentofIraqeffectively,promptly,thoroughly,andimpartially. TheGovernmentofIraqisagainstronglyurgedtoundertakelegislativeamendmentstograntIraqi courtsjurisdictionoverinternationalcrimesandtobecomeapartytotheStatuteoftheInternational Criminal Court (ICC) or to refer the current situation in Iraq to the ICC. In addition, as soon as practicableafterthere-takingofareasfromISILcontrol,theGovernmentofIraqshouldensurethat responsibility for law and order is restored to civilian control and that the human rights and basic humanitarianneedsofciviliansinthoseareasaremet. ii Introduction ThisreportontheProtectionofCiviliansintheNon-InternationalArmedConflictinIraqispublished by the Human Rights Office of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in cooperation with Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), under their respectivemandates.2 This report presents a summary of incidents received and verified by UNAMI/OHCHR involving violationsandabusesofinternationalhumanrightsandinternationalhumanitarianlaw,aswellas other human rights concerns, linked to the non-international armed conflict between the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) (and affiliated armed groups) and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(ISIL),andfromactsofterrorismcommittedinthatcontext.3 Thereportcoverstheperiodof1Mayto31October2015. Methodology Theinformationcontainedinthisreportisbased,wherepossible,ontestimoniesobtaineddirectly fromthevictims,survivors,orwitnessesofviolationsandabusesofinternationalhumanrightslaw and/or violations of international humanitarian law. UNAMI/OHCHR continued to conduct interviewswithinternallydisplacedpersons(IDPs)intheKurdistanRegionofIraq(KR-I),Kirkukand DiyalaGovernorates,andotherareasofIraq,aswellaswithothervictims,survivors,andwitnesses ofincidents.4Informationwasalsoobtainedfromavarietyofsources,5includingGovernmentand non-governmentagenciesandorganizations,andUnitedNationsentities.Unlessspecificallystated, all information presented in this report has been cross-checked and verified using independent, credible,andreliablesources. The security situation in Iraq has affected the capacity of UNAMI/OHCHR to undertake direct monitoring and verification of many incidents in many areas of the country. UNAMI/OHCHR has encountereddifficultiesinverifyingincidentsthattookplaceinconflictareasandinareasunderISIL control. In some cases, sources were reluctant to speak to UNAMI/OHCHR due to threats, intimidation, and/or fear of reprisal. Where reports of incidents have not been cross-checked or verified,theyhavenotbeenincludedinthisreport Asaresult,theactualnumbersofciviliancasualtiesandscaleofincidentscouldbemuchhigherthan thoserecordedbyUNAMI/OHCHR.Furthermore,examplesofviolationsandabusescontainedinthis reportareemblematicanddonotpresentacomprehensiveaccountofallabusesandviolationsthat werereportedtoUNAMI/OHCHRandverified. Inresolution1770of10August2006,theUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilrequestedUNAMIto"promotetheprotection of human rights and judicial and legal reform in order to strengthen the rule of law in Iraq..." (paragraph 2(c)). UNAMI mandate was extended in the same terms for 2015/2016 by Security Council resolution 2233 of 29 July 2015. In accordance with its mandate, UNAMI Human Rights Office conducts a range of activities aimed at promoting the protectionofciviliansinarmedconflict,includingundertakingindependentandimpartialmonitoringof,andreportingon, armed violence and its impact on civilians and on violations of international humanitarian law and international human rightslaw. 3 ForbackgroundonISILseeUNAMI/OHCHR,ReportontheProtectionofCiviliansintheNonInternationalArmedConflict in Iraq: 5 June ­ 5 July 2014 (18 August 2014) available online at . 4 Asof31October2015,UNAMIhadconducted1783interviewswithIDPsinareaswheretheyhaveconcentrated.UNAMI alsointerviewed36detaineesheldintheKurdishIntelligence(Asayish)detentionfacilityinErbiltogatherinformationon specificcasesofhumanrightsviolations.UNAMIalsoconductstelephoneinterviewswithvictimsandwitnessesofhuman rightsviolations,civilianswhoremaintrappedinISIL-controlledareasorwhohavefledtootherareasofIraq. 5 TheseincludeGovernmentofficialsandinstitutions,localandinternationalmedia,localnon-governmentalorganizations, humanrightsdefenders,triballeaders,religiousleaders,politicalfigures,andcivilsocietyactors,aswellasUnitedNations entitiesoperatinginIraq. 2 1 Background Duringtheperiodcoveredbythisreport,thegovernoratesofAnbar,Salahal-Din,NinewaandKirkuk continuedtobethesceneofmuchofthefightingbetweenGovernmentandassociatedforcesand ISIL,astheopposingsidesfoughtforcontrolofstrategicallyimportantregionsandcities. InthefirstweekofMay,ISILlaunchedamajoroffensiveagainstIraq'slargestoilrefinery,locatedin Baiji, 200 kilometres north of Baghdad. At the same time, Government forces and ISIL continued theirstruggletocontrolthestrategiccityofRamadi,thecapitalofAnbar,Iraq'slargestgovernorate, only100kilometresnorthwestofBaghdad.RamadieventuallyfelltoISILinmid-Mayinwhatwasa significantblowtotheGovernmentsincethefallofMosulinJune2014.ThecaptureofRamadiby ISIL caused the displacement of thousands of people, many heading east towards Baghdad. The Government relied on popular Mobilization Units (PMUs ­ al Hashid al-Sha'bi') in an attempt to retake Ramadi. Fighting for control of Ramadi continued throughout the reporting period, with several incidents in which Government forces and PMU took heavy casualties. On 24 May, the strategic border crossing with Syria, at al-Walid, Anbar Governorate, was taken by ISIL when depletedGovernmentforceswereforcedtowithdraw. On2June,ISILclosedthegatesofadaminRamadi,whichreducedtheleveloftheEuphratesRiver and caused water shortages and increased salinity downstream as far as Basra Governorate. Poor waterqualitywastobeoneofthecomplaintsthatwouldberaisedduringmassproteststhatswept the country towards the end of July. Fighting continued in June in different parts of Anbar Governorate, with Government forces and PMUs repelling two attacks by ISIL on al-Habbaniyah airbaseandthetownofHusseiba.Governmentforcesalsoreportedlylaunchedanoffensiveagainst the ISIL positions near to Samarra, north of Baghdad, killing at least 55 fighters - according to Government sources. Government advances against ISIL in some parts of the country allowed the returnofpreviouslydisplacedfamilies.On15June,around200familieshadreturnedtoTikrit,two andahalfmonthsafterGovernmentandassociatedforcesreclaimeditfromISILcontrol. On8July,theIraqiCentralCriminalCourtinBaghdadsentenced24ISILmemberstodeathfortheir membershipinaterroristgroupandparticipationintheCampSpeichermassacrethatoccurrednear Tikritonandafter12June2014.Fourotherdefendantswereacquittedforlackofevidence.Another 604 suspects are wanted in connection with the killings. UNAMI/OHCHR has raised concerns regardingtheconductofthetrialanditscompliancewithconstitutionalandinternationalstandards. UNAMI/OHCHR has repeatedly called on the Government of Iraq to ensure accountability for the killings and appropriate care and support to the survivors and their families and to the families of thevictims. On 13 July, days after Government forces and PMUs repelled an ISIL attack on the town of Khalidiyah,alarge-scaleoffensivetoforceISILoutofAnbarbegan.Governmentforces,backedby PMU, reportedly captured villages and areas around Fallujah, halfway between Baghdad and Ramadi. In the meantime, Coalition forces continued their airstrikes against ISIL near Ramadi, reportedlyhitting67ISILtargets.On17July,ontheeveofEidal-Fitr,atleast108peoplewerekilled and167wereinjuredinKhanBaniSaad,Diyala,byanIEDforwhichISILclaimedresponsibility.This was the first major attack in Diyala by ISIL since the province had been liberated by Government forces in November 2014. While the offensive in Anbar gathered pace, a wave of bombings took placeacrossthecountryon21July,thedeadliestofwhichkilled22peopleandwounded32inthe mainlyShi'adistrictofNewBaghdad,north-easternBaghdad.On26July,Governmenttroops,with supportfromCoalitionairstrikes,enteredandeventuallycapturedAnbarUniversityinRamadiinan important first step towards retaking the city. According to a Government spokesperson, the universitywasasignificantmilitaryobjectiveasitwasusedbyISILasacentralcommandpostfor stagingoperationsaroundRamadi. 2 Reconstruction efforts in areas retaken from ISIL were boosted on 12 July, when the Government signed an agreement with the World Bank for the provision of a $350 million loan to fund emergency reconstruction in towns recaptured from ISIL. The money is reportedly to be used for infrastructure works such as repairing roads and bridges, electricity networks, water and sewage. The precarious state of Iraq's finances due to the conflict with ISIL has been exacerbated by the falling price of oil, and the World Bank loan was seen as an important measure to boost national coffersandbolsterreconstruction.Iraqhasalsoreportedlyreceivedpledgesoffinancialsupportfor reconstruction from the United States of America, Japan, the European Union and individual Europeancountries. Towards the end of July, Turkish fighter jets began carrying out airstrikes upon Partiya Karkeren Kurdistane/KurdishWorkers'Party(PKK)targetsinsideIraq,targetingshelters,depotsandcavesin sixareasinthenorthofDohukGovernorate,insidetheKurdistanRegionofIraq(KR-I).Thestrikes werereportedlycondemnedbytheGovernmentofIraqasa"dangerousescalationandanassault onIraqisovereignty".Sixcorpsesandeightwoundedpeoplewerereceivedon1Augustbyahospital in the town of Soran following an air raid by Turkish fighter jets on PKK targets in the village of Zarkel,Rawanduzarea,eastofErbil.Thestrikeswerecarriedoutaspartofatwo-prongedattack uponbothPKKinKurdistanandISILinSyria.TurkeyreachedanagreementwiththeUnitedStates of America on 25 August to integrate its operations into the anti-ISIL Coalition and and to coordinateitsairstrikesagainstISIL. At the end of July, precipitated by a heatwave, a movement of protests against perceived Governmentcorruption,incompetenceandlackofpublicservicesspreadacrossIraq,particularlyin Baghdad and the southern governorates. Demonstrations continued, although diminished, throughoutthereportingperiod.Themaincomplaintscentredonfrequentdisruptionofelectricity supplies and the poor quality of supposedly potable water, particularly in the south of Iraq. Protestorsdirectedmuchoftheblameatwhattheysawascorruptlocaladministrations,andcalled fortheresignationofGovernorsandotherauthorities.Astheprotestsgrewlargerandmorevocalin their condemnation of local authorities, threats and other acts of intimidation against demonstratorsbegantobereported. Inresponsetotheprotests,PrimeMinisterHaideral-Abadiproposedarangeofreformsaimedat combatting corruption, including ensuring political appointments are based on merit rather than sectarian or party quotas, and eliminating the three positions of Vice-President and three Deputy Prime Ministers. The reform package, which was backed by the most senior Iraqi Shi'a cleric, the GrandAyatollahAlial-Sistani,receivedtherequiredsupportofparliamenton11August. On18August,FadhilAhmadal-Hayali(HajiMutazz),thesecond-in-commandofISIL,wasallegedly killed in a U.S. airstrike as he was travelling near Mosul. According to Iraqi analysts, Hayali was in charge of military operations throughout Iraq and was a valuable strategist to ISIL, although the groupwasbelievedtobecapableofcontinuingoperationswithoutnoticeablehindrance. On21and23August,pro-GovernmentforcesreportedlysufferedheavylossesintwoattacksbyISIL inAnbargovernorate.Inthefirstincident,around50soldiersandPMUfighterswerekilledintwo separateambushes,whilethesecondattack,whichoccurredintheruraldistrictofJaramshah,north ofRamadi,killed17soldiersandsixSunnimilitiamen.ISILcarriedoutanumberofsuicideattacksin Anbar Governorate against Government and associated forces towards the end of August and the beginning of September. Eight soldiers were killed in an attack upon a military outpost west of Ramadi on 24 August, while 12 soldiers and allied Sunni militiamen were reportedly killed on 1 SeptemberinanassaultuponmilitarypositionsoutsidethetownofHaditha. On 23 August, the Kirkuk Provincial Council (KPC) announced its decision that IDPs from Diyala Governorate, residing at the time in Kirkuk, should leave the Governorate within one month. The decision was announced by the acting Chair of KPC, reportedly acting on the recommendations of theIDPandLegalAffairsCommittees,citingtheburdensoftheIDPcommunityonKirkukresidentsin 3 termsofsecurity,socialandeconomicservicesintheGovernorate,aswellastheshortageoffederal financialallocationsfortheGovernoratetomeetthesedemands.KPCaskedthevariousauthorities inDiyalatofacilitatethisprocesswithinthegiventimeframe.TheannouncementbytheProvincial Council was the latest measure adopted to pressure IDPs to return to their places of origin when theyareconsideredtohavebeenreclaimedbyGovernmentandassociatedforces. On 2 September, 18 Turkish workers were abducted by men in military uniforms from a sports stadium they were constructing in north-eastern Baghdad. Two days later, a previously unknown Shi'a militia group released a video of the abducted workers and demanded that Turkey stop the passage of militants crossing the border into Iraq, stop the flow of oil from Kurdistan through Turkey, and order a Sunni insurgent alliance to lift its siege of two Shi'a towns in Syria. The abductions were reportedly condemned by the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who called for the releaseofthecaptivesandaccusedthemilitiagroupofharmingtheimageofIslam.UNAMI/OHCHR confirmedthattwooftheabducteeswereeventuallyreleasedinBasra,inthesouthofIraq,on15 September, while the remaining 16 were released on 30 September in Babil governorate, central Iraq. Another high-profile abduction was that of the Acting Deputy Minister of Justice, who was takenbymaskedgunmenfromhisvehicleon8SeptemberinnorthernBaghdad.Hewaseventually releasedon10October.Nogrouphasyetclaimedresponsibilityforthisabductionandthemotiveis unclear. AttheendofSeptember,KurdishPeshmergaforcesmadeadvancesinterritorypreviouslyheldby ISILtothewestofKirkuk,inthenorthofIraq,retaking12villagesanddrivingISILfightersfroman areaof140squarekilometres.On12October,thePrimeMinister'sofficeannouncedthebeginning of a campaign to drive ISIL from Salah al-Din Governorate, including the Baiji oil refinery. By 16 October,significantgainshadreportedlybeenmadetowardsretakingtherefinery,asGovernment forces continued to push north. At the same time, advances were made around Ramadi, where Government forces closed in from the north and the west, hopeful to establish conditions for an eventualliberationofthecityitself. On18October,inthecontextofthePrimeMinister'santi-corruptiondrive,itwasannouncedthat arrest warrants were issued for the Trade Minister and his brother on charges of unspecified corruption. Legalframework The international legal framework applicable to the non-international armed conflict in Iraq comprisesinternationalhumanitarianlawandinternationalhumanrightslaw.6 Internationallawrequiresthatallpartiestotheconflict(includingStateactorsandnon-statearmed groups)respecttheapplicableprinciplesofdistinctionandproportionalitywhenconductingarmed operations, take all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, the impact of violenceoncivilians,andtakestepstoensurethesafetyandprotectionofciviliansbyenablingthem to leave areas affected by violence in safety and dignity, and to facilitate their access to basic humanitarian assistance at all times. Parties to the conflict must also take steps to ensure the protection and care of the most vulnerable among the civilian population, and are required to preventviolationsandabuses. 6 Iraq is a party, inter alia, to the: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of RacialDiscrimination;theConventionagainstTortureandOtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishment; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and the InternationalConventionfortheProtectionofAllPersonsfromEnforcedDisappearance;theFourGenevaConventionsand AdditionalProtocolItotheGenevaConventions. 4 The Government of Iraq is required to hold to account alleged perpetrators of human rights violations or abuses that amount to crimes and of serious violations of international humanitarian law,inparticularthosethatconstitutecrimesunderinternationallaw,includingwarcrimes,crimes against humanity, and genocide, irrespective of who the perpetrators may be. The Government must also ensure that all armed groups engaged in hostilities in support of its forces7 comply with relevant international and national laws in the conduct of their operations against ISIL, including doingtheirutmosttoensuretheprotectionofciviliansfromtheeffectsofviolenceandtheiraccess tohumanitarianassistance.8 Impactoftheconflictoncivilians Civiliancasualties From1January2014throughtotheendofOctober2015,UNAMI/OHCHRrecordedatleast55,047 civiliancasualtiesasaresultofthenon-internationalarmedconflictinIraq:18,802killedand36,245 wounded.9 Duringtheperiodcoveredbythisreport,1Mayto31October2015,aminimumof10,911civilian casualties resulted from the ongoing violence, including at least 3,855 persons killed and 7,056 wounded. Baghdad was the most affected governorate, with a minimum of 6,168 civilian casualties (1,875 killed and 4,293 wounded). Anbar followed with 1,873 civilian casualties (452 killed and 1,421 wounded), while Diyala recorded the third highest number of civilian casualties with 1,576 (658 killedand918wounded). Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including body-borne (BBIED), vehicle-borne (VBIED), and suicidevehicle-borne(SVBIED)devices,werethedeadliesttacticusedagainstcivilians,resultinginat least7,086civiliancasualties(1,717killedand5,369wounded)duringthereportingperiod.10 As noted, the actual number of civilian casualties could be much higher than those recorded. Additionally,thenumberofcivilianswhohavediedfromthesecondaryeffectsofviolence,suchas lackofaccesstobasicfood,waterormedicalcareisunknown.Children,pregnantwomen,persons withdisabilities,andelderlypeopleremainedparticularlyvulnerable. 7 Namely,theal-Hashidal-Sha'bi,knowninEnglishasthePopularMobilizationUnits.Followingtheseizureofterritoriesby ISILfrom5June2014andthecollapseofISFinthoseareas,GrandAyatollahAlial-SistanicalledonIraqistodefendIraq fromISIL.Al-Sistani'sstatementwasdeliveredinKarbalabyhisrepresentative,Abdual-Mahdial-Karbali,duringaFriday sermon, on 13 June 2014. It provided that "the threats posed obligate the volunteering of those who are capable of carryingarmstodefendthehomelandanditisadutyon[them]."Al-KarbalialsoexpressedsupportforISF,statingthatit wasthedutyofallIraqicitizens,notjustShi'a,tojointhearmedforcestoprotectthecountry.AyatollahBashiral-Najafi, another member of Iraq's clerical establishment, also issued a statement calling on Iraqis to join ISF. On 30 September 2014,theCabinetpassedaresolutioncallingonPrimeMinisteral-Abaditoensuretheprovisionoftheal-Hashidal-Sha'bi' with weapons, logistics, training, and salaries. On 28 October, the Council of Ministers approved a decree regularizing PMUstofightagainstISIL. 8 ForanoverviewofinternationallawbindingonIraqandotherpartiestothearmedconflict,see`Legalframeworkonthe Protection of Civilians in Non-International Armed Conflict' section, Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq: 5 June to 5 July 2014 (UNAMI/OHCHR July 2014), available online . 9 Monthly civilian casualty figures in this report consist of civilians, including civilian police officers, and include civilian casualtiesfromAnbarGovernorate.UNAMIhoweverwasunabletoobtaincasualtyfiguresforAnbarGovernorateforthe monthofOctober2015.Ingeneral,UNAMIhasbeenhinderedineffectivelyverifyingcasualtiesinconflictareas.Figures forcasualtiesfromAnbarGovernorateareprovidedbytheAnbarHealthDirectorateandmightnotfullyreflecttheactual numberofcasualtiesinthoseareasduetotheincreasedvolatilityofthesituationthereandthedisruptionofservices.In somecases,UNAMIcouldonlypartiallyverifycertainincidents. 10 Theremainingciviliancasualtieswereattributedtoairstrikes,shelling,smallarmsfire,burning,beheading,knifeattacks, unexplodedordnance,andothermeans. 5 Conflict-relateddisplacementofcivilians The ongoing hostilities in Iraq continue to cause massive displacement of civilians. From January 2014through29September2015,atotalof3,206,736personshadbecomeinternallydisplacedin Iraq,11includingoveronemilliondisplacedschoolagegirlsandboys.12Themajority(87percent)of IDPs are reported to be originally from three governorates: Anbar, 42 per cent (1,334,592 individuals);Ninewa,32percent(1,011,606);andSalahal-Din,13percent(407,142).13 The governorates with the highest number of IDPs are Anbar and Baghdad, with 583,050 and 577,584 displaced, respectively. Other governorates with a significant number of displaced are Dohuk(426,966),Kirkuk(401,280),Erbil(284,310),Ninewa(203,652)andSulaymaniyah(161,724). Thesefiguresincludepeopledisplacedwithintheirowngovernoratesaswellastootherareasofthe country.14CentralNorthIraqhosts68percentoftheIDPs(2,162,772individuals),theKR-Ihosts27 per cent of the IDPs (873,000 individuals) and South Iraq hosts 5 per cent of the IDPs (179,964 individuals).15 IDPshavelargelysettledinprivatesettings,suchaswithhostfamilies,rentalhousingandotherpaid accommodation, representing 69 per cent of those displaced. However, 20 per cent of IDPs have been forced to resort to critical shelter arrangements, including unfinished and abandoned buildings,religiousbuildings,schoolbuildings,andinformalsettlements.Only8percentofIDPsare residingincamps.16 Between 24 August and 8 September, 11,640 people (1,940 families) were displaced from their villagessurroundingDaquqandHawijadistricts,Kirkuk,followingKurdishPeshmergaadvancesand thereclaimingofvillagesunderthecontrolofISIL.MostofthedisplacedfledtoKirkukCitywhere theyarestayingwithrelatives.17 On 11 September, about 1,500 people were stranded at the Daquq checkpoint after military operationsinDaquqdistrictinKirkuk.ThedisplacedpeoplewerereportedlyallowedtoenterDaquq centre and Kirkuk only after security screenings. Most families settled with relatives or in rented homesorunfinishedbuildingsinDaquqcenter,whilesomecontinuedtoKirkukcity.18 ManyIDPs,particularlyinKirkuk,haveexperiencedbeingroundedupinpoliceraidsandarbitrarily arrestedbysecurityforcesonsuspicionofterrorismorothergroundssuchastrespassingonpublic groundsorfailuretopresentproperidentification.Mostarereleasedsoonafterwithoutcharge. AsGovernmentandaffiliatedforceshavere-takenareasoccupiedbyISIL,someofthosedisplaced havebeenabletoreturntotheirareasoforigin.Asof29September2015,atotalof56,587families (or402,660individuals)werereportedtohavereturnedtotheirlocationoforigin.Approximately54 percentofreturneeshadreturnedtoSalahal-Dinand39percenttoTikritdistrictalone,specifically toMerkaz,Tikrit.TherestofthereturneesreturnedtoDiyalaandNinewa(mainlyinthenorthern districtsofTalAfarandTelKaif).Thosewhoreturnedhavelargelysettledbacktotheirlocationof InternationalOrganizationforMigration(IOM),DisplacementTrackingMatrix,RoundXXX­October2015,p.1. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 62 (16-29 September2015),p.5. 13 United Nations Iraq, "Displacement in Iraq Exceeds 3.2 Million: IOM," Baghdad, 16 October 2015 lastaccessed17October2015. 14 InternationalOrganizationforMigration(IOM),DisplacementTrackingMatrix,RoundXXX­October2015,p.2. 15 The Central North includes the Anbar, Babylon, Baghdad, Diyala, Kerbala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Wassit Governorates;theKurdistanRegionofIraq(KRI)includestheDahuk,SulaymaniyahandErbilGovernorates;andSouthIraq includestheBasrah,Missan,Najaf,Thi-Qar,QadissiyaandMuthanaGovernorates. 16 InternationalOrganizationforMigration(IOM),DisplacementTrackingMatrix,RoundXXX­October2015,p.8. 17 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 60 (2-8 September2015)p.1. 18 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 62 (16-29 September2015)pp.1-2. 12 11 6 usual residence (87 per cent), although 13 per cent have returned to abandoned or unfinished buildingsbecauseofdamagetoordestructionoftheirhomes.19 Those returning have encountered continuing insecurity, large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure,severelyimpacteddeliveryofbasicservices,booby-trapsandexplosiveremnantsof war.Forinstance,on19September,about960peoplereturnedfromKhanaqintoSaadiyadistrict, DiyalaGovernorate,tofindthatmanyofthehouseshadbeendestroyed.Initiallyarmedmilitiawere preventingresidentsfromreturningtothedistrict,buttheywereeventuallypermittedbackaftera securityscreening.20 TheMinistryofDisplacementandMigration(MoDM)reportedthat720peoplehadreturnedtoalKharmainAnbarduringtheweekof22-29September,bringingthenumberofreturneesto3,176in twosub-districts:1,976inal-Khayratand1,200inal-Jazeera.Accesstotheareawasrestricteddue tounsaferoadsleadingtoal-Kharma.MostofthereturneeswerepreviouslydisplacedinBaghdad.21 Accesstobasicservicesandhumanitarianassistance Thearmedconflictandotherformsofviolence,aswellasthescaleofdisplacement,continuedto impairIDPs'accesstobasicservicesincludinghousing,healthcare,cleanwaterandeducation. EvictionorriskofevictionforIDPshasbeenreportedinsomegovernorates.Forexample,inthefirst week of 2-8 September, 540 IDPs (90 families) living in the Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Kilani school, Baghdad, were threatened with eviction by local authorities. Similarly, in Kirkuk, 150 IDPs (25 families)attheShoqaqSadamcomplexwerethreatenedwitheviction.22 Also,on9-15September,IDPsinAnbar,BabilandBaghdadfacedevictionorrisksofeviction.Those affected were staying in public buildings, particularly school buildings, but also apartments or houses, which were allocated to Government employees, or could no longer pay a rent. Only a limited number of IDPs were provided alternative accommodation such as in camps.23 On 16-29 September,about1,440displacedpeoplefromTalAfarandtheNinewaplainswerethreatenedwith evictionfromtheQasSuailimapartmentcomplexinBabil.Atthetimeofwriting,nocleardeadline toevacuatetheapartmentshadbeengiventotheIDPsresidingthere.24 Displaced people have also faced difficulties accessing clean water in some governorates. For example, between 9-15 September, water and sanitation infrastructure in two camps in Zakho district, Dahuk (housing around 20,400 displaced people) failed due to lack of adequate maintenance and repair. Shortages of water directly affected 3,206 displaced people when the waternetworkfailed.25 On15October,itwasreportedthat56,546familieshadreturnedtoreclaimedareasofSalahal-Din sinceJanuary2015.26TheyreturnedtotheirplacesoforigininDhuluiyadistrictandTikritdistrict(alAlam sub-district, al-Ishaqi sub-district, al-Botoamah sub-district, al-Hegag sub-district, al-Mazraah village,andtoTikritCity).However,publicservicesinmanyoftheseareaswereeithernotavailable or inadequate. Most of the Government properties in these areas had either been destroyed or InternationalOrganizationforMigration(IOM),DisplacementTrackingMatrix,RoundXXX­October2015,pp.10-12. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 62 (16-29 September2015)p.2. 21 Ibid. 22 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 60 (2-8 September2015)p.3. 23 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 61 (9-15 September2015)p.2. 24 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 62 (16-29 September2015)p.2. 25 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 61 (9-15 September2015)p.20. 26 InternationalRescueCommittee,ReturnofInternallyDisplacedPersonstoSalahal-Din,Update:15October2015,p.1. 20 19 7 looted. The restoration of water and electricity services has proved to be a significant challenge, exacerbatedbythesecuritysituationandlackofresources.27 Furthermore, it has been reported that over one million school-aged girls and boys are displaced. About70percentofthemhavelostalmostonefullyearofeducation,andonlyabout30percentof them had access to any form of education at the end of the school year. Where available, most schoolswereovercrowdedandcouldnotaccommodatealldisplacedstudents.28 ViolationsandabusescommittedbyISIL ISIL continues to commit systematic and widespread violations and abuses of international human rightslawandinternationalhumanitarianlaw.Insomeinstances,thesemayamounttowarcrimes andcrimesagainsthumanity. Killingsandabductions ISILcontinuedtocarryoutarangeofkillingsinareasunderitscontrolandinthoseareasaffectedby conflict. Targets included persons perceived to be opposed to ISIL ideology or control, captured members of ISF, former members of ISF, members of the police, former public officials and candidates for public office, officials of the Government of Iraq or members of parliament or governorate councils, religious and tribal leaders, and professionals, including journalists, lawyers, doctorsandothercivilians. ISILcontinuedtoperpetrateabductions,targetingpersonsperceivedtobeopposedtotheirideology and control, members and former members of ISF, and traditional tribal, religious and community leaders.Thefateofmanyofthoseabductedremainsunknown. Killingsofcivilians,includingcommunityandreligiousleaders On a number of occasions, ISIL executed former candidates for public office in the areas under its control. On 11 July, a former candidate for the Ninewa Provincial Council elections from Qayyara sub-districtwaskilledbyISILintheal-GhizlanimilitarybaseinMosul,Ninewa.Thevictimwasshotin theheadafterhisabductionfromhishomeinQayyarabyISIL,on20June2014.Similarly,on12July, ISILkilledaformercandidatefortheNinewaProvincialCouncilelectionsbyshootinghiminthehead intheal-IzaamilitarybaseinQayarrasub-district,Mosuldistrict.Thevictimhadbeenabductedby ISILinMarch2015. On 18 August, ISIL killed three former candidates for the parliamentary elections from the MutahidounAllianceinMosul,Ninewa.Thewomen,whowereabductedfromtheirhomesinMosul on 12 August, were shot in the head in the al-Ghizlani military base. Around 14 September, a former candidate for the Coalition List was shot and killed by ISIL. The victimhadbeenabductedfromherhomeinMosulcityapproximatelytwomonthsearlierandhad been held in an unknown location. On or around 11 June, three former parliamentary candidates were abducted from their homes. On 21 June, they were executed by firing squad at the al-Izza militarybaseinQayyaradistrict,southofMosul,followingadecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt. EmployeesandformeremployeesoftheIndependentHighElectoralCommission(IHEC)continued to be targeted by ISIL for abduction and murder. UNAMI/OHCHR confirmed reports that on the evening of 24 July, ISIL abducted 53 employees of IHEC in Mosul, Ninewa, taking them to an unknown location. On the morning of 25 July, 28 of those abducted, including 11 women, were executedinal-Ghizlanimilitarybase,southofMosul.Accordingtoonesource,anISILself-appointed court had ordered the abduction of all former employees of IHEC, however UNAMI/OHCHR could notverifythisinformation. InternationalRescueCommittee,ReturnofInternallyDisplacedPersonstoSalahal-Din,Update:15October2015,p.4. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis, Situation Report No. 61 (9-15 September2015)p.4. 28 27 8 On8August,ISILreportedlyexecutedatleast300civilservantsemployedbyIHECinMosul,Ninewa. Sources claimed to UNAMI/OHCHR that the victims were executed by firing squad at al-Ghizlani militarybaseinMosul.Fiftyofthevictimswereallegedtohavebeenwomen.Astatementissuedby IHECon8AugustclaimedthatISILhadexecutedanunconfirmednumberofitscurrentandformer employees.On21August,12formerIHECemployees,includingfourwomenandaseniormember of the electoral station in Mosul, were executed by ISIL, having been abducted from their homes threeweeksearlier.ISILnotifiedrelativesdirectlyoftheexecutions.However,UNAMI/OHCHRhas notbeenabletoverifytheexactlocationsofthekillings. Other victims were murdered after being accused by ISIL of providing information to Government andassociatedforces.Forinstance,on23June,ISILpostedavideoshowingthekillingof16men. Thevideo,ofsevenminutesduration,showedthekillingofthemeninthreebatches­byarocketpropelled grenade fired at a car in which some men were placed, by placing others in a cage that was submerged into water, and by decapitating the remainder with explosives. The men were allegedlyaccusedofcooperatingwithISF.Themen,dressedinredjumpsuits,areshownallegedly confessinginpartsofthevideo. On the evening of 3 July, ISIL killed the former local Mayor (Mukhtar) of Ain Marmiya village, Makhmourdistrict,south-eastofMosul,Ninewa.Thevictim,whowasshotinthehead,hadbeen abductedbyISILfromhishouseon21June,accusedofcooperatingwiththePeshmergaandISF. On10July,afterJum'a(afternoon)prayers,ninepeoplewerekilledbyISILintheBab al Tob area of central Mosul, Ninewa. The victims were forced to lie down on the streetandabulldozerwasdrivenoverthem.Thevictimsreportedlyincludedatleast one former ISF officer. The killings occurred in front of a large crowd and were intended as a warning to the population. Before the execution took place, a statement condemning the victims was broadcast by al Bayan radio station, which provided a range of reasons for the killings, including providing information to ISF andPeshmergaandcollaboratingwiththePMUs. On 4 September, ISIL executed four civilians by shooting them in the head in a public market in Shirqatdistrict,Salahal-DinGovernorate.TwoofthevictimswereaccusedofcooperatingwithISF while the other two were accused of helping people to flee from Shirqat. On 9 September, ISIL abducted42menfromal-JabouritribeinQayarradistrictandtookthemtoShirqatdistrict,SalahalDinGovernorate.Sixteenofthesemenwerelaterexecuted.ISILaccusedthemofhavingprovided informationtoISFandforbeingrelatedtoal-Hashidal-Sha'bifighterswhoarecombatingISILinthe GwerfrontlineinMakhmour. ISILmurderedothervictimsforattemptingtofleeareasunderitscontrolorforassistingothersto flee. In July and August, ISIL murdered civilians on charges of attempting to flee areas in Hawija, south west of Kirkuk. Bodies were frequently hung publicly from electricity poles in order to discourage others considering fleeing toward southern Salah al-Din and Kirkuk city. One source confirmed that following such murders, ISIL usually sends letters to the families of the victims confirmingthekillings.Inothercases,ISILhangedthebodiesonelectricitypolesnearthevillagesor townsentrances.On24July,ISILkilledfourmenfromBaghdadintheBabal-TobmarketinMosul, Ninewa,byshootingthemintheheadinfrontofacrowd.ThevictimsweredriversaccusedbyISIL self-appointed courts of smuggling residents of Mosul into Baghdad. On 5 October, in the Shirqat district, Salah al-Din, ISIL murdered three civilians, including a 15 year-old child, for attempting to fleeISIL-controlledareastoKR-I.Thetwomenwerereportedlybeheaded,whilethechildwasshot dead.On30September,afamilyfleeingfightingbetweenISILandPeshmergaforcesintheKubaiba areawestofKirkuk,wasfireduponbyISILfighters.Threewomenandonemanwerekilledinthat incident. 9 ISILalsomurderedspecificindividualsforbreachingtheirrulesoronsuspicionoffailingtosupport them.On13September,ISILexecutedthreeImamsforfailingtopraiseISILintheirsermons.They were shot in the head in the al-Izza military base in Hammam Ali sub-district of Mosul. On 25 September, two female lawyers were executed by ISIL in the al-Izza military base in Qayarra subdistrict, Mosul district. The victims were reportedly shot for violating the regulations of Shari'a by practicinglawinthecriminalcourt. KillingsofformerISFmembers,Police,andthoseassociatedwiththem ISIL continues to target persons associated with the Government of Iraq. Former members of ISF, police officers and individuals suspected of supporting or aiding Government forces have been victims of such attacks. In many cases, UNAMI/OHCHR believes that the individuals targeted were civiliansnotdirectlyparticipatinginhostilities. On15May,ISILmurderedtwopolicesofficers(acaptainandamajor)byshootingtheminthehead inBadoushprison,Mosul,Ninewa.BothvictimshadbeenabductedbyISILon10June2014.On10 June,sixformerISFmemberswerekilledbyISIL,inBadoushdistrict,westofMosul,byfiringsquad. The victims were reportedly sentenced by an ISIL self-appointed court and had been abducted by ISIL in early July 2014. On 25 June, ISIL murdered seven former police officers who had been abductedfromtheirhomesinHamamal-Aleeldistrict,southofMosul,inApril2014.Themenwere shotintheheadintheal-Ghizlanimilitarybase,inMosul. On 27 June, ISIL murdered 11 former police officers (al-Jubour tribe members) from Safal-TothvillageinHamamal-Aleeldistrict,southofMosul,Ninewa.Themen,who wereshotinthehead,werekilledfivekilometersawayfromtheirvillagefollowingthe decisionofanISILself-appointedcourt.ISILhadabductedthemeninMay2015.The families received written notification of the killings along with a list of the men's names. On3August,ISILreportedlymurderedeightformerISFmembersinHawijadistrict,Kirkuk.Themen, whowereshotinthehead,werepubliclyexecutedforprovidingsupporttoISFandPMUs.ISILhung thebodiesfrompowerlinesanddisplayedthematcheckpoints.On26August,inMosul,Ninewa, ISILkilledaretiredmemberofISFandoftheNinewaProvincialCouncilbyshootinghimthehead. Thevictimhadbeenabductedon12Julybutthereasonforthekillingisnotknown. On2September,ISILburntfourmentodeathinHamamAlisub-district,Mosuldistrict.Thevictims were members of al-Jabouri tribe and were accused by ISIL of spying for ISF and International Coalition forces by providing them with targets for airstrikes. On 13 October, ISIL murdered 21 civilians,includingeightformerIraqiArmyofficers,intheal-IzzamilitarybaseinsouthernMosul,for allegedly cooperating with, and providing information to ISF and PMUs. The victims, who were abductedfromtheirhomesinvariouspartsofMosulduringthecourseoftheyear,wereshotinthe headandchest. ISILalsokilledrelativesofmembersofISFandassociatedforces,suchasinthecaseoftheabduction andmurderon4Octoberof70membersofAlbuNimrtribefromal-Tharthararea,northofRamadi, Anbar Governorate. According to one of the tribal leaders, all of those killed were civilians whose fathersandbrothershadjoinedISFandSahwa29groupstofightISIL. SahwaisArabicfor"awakening".ThismovementwasacoalitionbetweenpredominantlySunnitribes,initiallyfundedby theUnitedStatesGovernmentasanadhocsecurityforceatthecommunitylevel.Ithaslargelybeendissolved,asformer IraqiGovernmentshaverefusedtointegratemanyofthemthemovement'smembersintosecurityforces. 29 10 Killings and torture and cruel and inhuman treatment following condemnation by illegal/irregular/unlawfulcourts ISIL carried out numerous murders following sentences imposed by ISIL self-appointed courts established in Mosul, Ninewa. As these courts are not authorized by Iraqi law to exercise judicial authorityandfailtorespectanysemblanceofbasicprinciplesofdueprocess,anysentenceimposed bythemisirreconcilablewithinternationallaw.JournalistswerefrequentlytargetedbytheseselfappointedcourtsasISILperceivesthemtobespiesorinleaguewiththeGovernmentorassociated forces. On17May,ISILmurderedajournalistwhoworkedfortheNinewaAlqadtelevision channel.On17April,ISILhadbrokenintothevictim'shouseinQadisiyaharea,north eastofMosul,Ninewa,searchinghisphone,computeranddocuments.Hewasthen beatenandtakenaway,blindfoldedandhandcuffed,andlaterpresentedbeforeone ofISILself-appointedcourtswhichcondemnedhimforespionageand`treason'. On1July,ISILbeheadedthreemenneartheBahhaAlddinMosqueinHayal-Najar,easternMosul. ISILaccusedthemenofblasphemy,withthepublickillingscarriedoutfollowingadecisionbyISIL's self-appointedcourt.On5July,ISILpostedaseriesofimagesoftheexecutionsonsocialmedia.The imagesshowthreemenbound,blindfolded,andkneelinginastreet;anISILmemberreadingoutthe self-appointedcourtdecision;thebeheadingofoneman;andaswordraisedabovetheheadofa secondman.Therearealsoimagesoftheassembledcrowdwatchingthekillings. On the evening of 5 July, ISIL murdered a 28 year-old female journalist in al-Dakki area, western Mosul,Ninewa.Shehadbeenabductedfromherhomeinal-Akha'area,easternMosul,on30June. The victim was shot in the head and chest following a decision of an ISIL self-appointed court, purportedlyforcooperationwithISF.On10August,ISILmurderedthreejournalists,allbrothers,in al-IzzamilitarybaseinHamamal-Aleel,southernMosul,Ninewa.Thevictimswereshotinthehead followingthedecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt,whichaccusedthemofprovidinginformation to local and international media on ISIL movements, bases, and on daily life in Mosul. Another journalistwhoworkedforSamaMosulsatelliteTVchannelwasmurderedbyISILon4October,in Mosul,Ninewa,followingadecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt. ImamswhodidnotconformtoISILdoctrineorideology,orwhowereperceivedascriticalofISIL, were also targeted by ISIL self-appointed courts. On 12 July, ISIL abducted four Imams from their homesinQayyarasub-district,Mosul,Ninewa.Onthemorningof13July,theywereaccusedbyan ISIL self-appointed court of conducting taraweeh prayers (special evening prayers held during Ramadan),whichISILhadforbidden.Twodayslater,theImamswereshotintheheadintheal-Izza militarybase,Qayyara. On 20 July 2015, at around 08:00, in Musherfa village, western Mosul, ISIL publicly killed the Imam of Hamid Mosque in Mosul, Ninewa, by shooting him in the head, following a decision by an ISIL self-appointed court. The victim had been abducted fromhishomebyISILon17July2015forallegedlycriticizingthegroup. ThoseaccusedofcollaboratingwithGovernmentandassociatedforceswerealsomurderedingrim publicspectaclesattheorderofISILself-appointedcourts.On4August,ISILbeheadedaformerISF officerandhistwosonsinfrontofacrowdintheWadial-HajerareaofMosul,Ninewa.Themurders followedthedecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt,whichaccusedthemenofcollaboratingwith ISF. On the morning of 12 September, ISIL abducted and executed a former Director of Rasheed Radio in Mosul, Ninewa, accusing him of providing information to ISF. The victim was shot in the 11 headattheal-GhizlanimilitarybaseinMosul,followingthedecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt. On 8 October, ISIL murdered a former Director of al-Ba'aj Police Directorate, accusing him of cooperating with ISF. The victim was shot in the head in the al-Ghizlani military base, in southern Mosul,followingthedecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt. ISIL also imposed cruel and inhuman punishments, including on minors, in areas under its control. Suchacaseoccurredon2September,whenISILcutoffthehandofaboyagedaround13yearsin theBabal-Tobmarket,centreofMosul,reportedlyafteraccusinghimoftheft. KillingsofcapturedGovernmentISFandassociatedforcespersonnel CapturedpersonnelfromGovernmentandassociatedforceswerefrequentlykilledbyISIL,eitherin publicexecutionsorinprisonsinsidemilitarybases.Forexample,on20May,ISILhangedasoldier from a bridge in Fallujah, Anbar (Jisr al-Muadhafeen or Employees' Bridge). The soldier had reportedlybeencapturedearlierintheGarmaarea,northofFallujah,afterallegedlybeingwounded andrunningoutofammunition.Picturespostedonlineshowedthesoldierbeingparadedinatruck andhisbodyhangingfromabridge.ThemurderwascondemnedbytheMinistryofHumanRights.30 On3June,ISILmurderedacapturedsoldierinthecontextofameetinginwhichseveralsheikhsand triballeaderspledgedallegiancetoISILinFallujah,AnbarGovernorate.Avideoemergedonlineof thesupposedmeeting,showingthesoldierbeingforcedbyanISILmembertokneelinfrontofthe sheikhsandtriballeaders.Thevideoendswiththebodyofthesoldierlyingontheground,withhis headinapoolofblood,andtwohoodedISILfighterscloseby.Accordingtoastatementissuedlater bytheGeneralNationalCongressoftheFailiKurds,thesoldiermurderedbyISILwasamemberof thatcommunity. Onoraround10June,ISILkilledfivecapturedISFmembersinBadoushprison,Mosul,Ninewa.Itis reportedthatthevictimswereinchargeofthesecurityoftheprisonpriortoitscapturebyISILon9 June2014.On13June,ISILkilled27capturedISFmembersinBadoushprisonforunknownreasons, and on 21 June, ISIL murdered an Iraqi Army officer and his son, also a soldier, in the Bab al-Tob market, in the centre of the Mosul city, Ninewa. The killings were carried out by firing squad, the menhavingbeenabductedfromtheirhomeinJuly2014.On18June,ISILexecutedthreecaptured IraqiArmyofficersinacentralareaofHeet,AnbarGovernorate. Otherkillings ISILhasalsokilledmembersofitsowngroupforrefusingtofightoractingagainstitsinterests,as wellascapturedcombatantsfromGovernmentandassociatedforces.Themurderswerefrequently conducted in public spaces, and the bodies of captured Government forces personnel were sometimesdisplayedafterwards.Onoccasion,ISILdisplayedthebodiesofitsownmemberswhoit had murdered, as a deterrent to other ISIL members who might consider disobeying orders or otherwiseactingagainstitsinterests. UNAMI/OHCHRreceivedanumberofreportsofISILkillingitsownmembers,eitherfordisobeying orders,suspicionofpassinginformationtoISF,orotherwiseconspiringagainstISIL.On29June,ISIL murdered a member of its al-Hisba (morality `police')31 by firing squad, at a marketplace in Mosul city,Ninewa,followingthedecisionofanISILself-appointedcourt.Onthesameday,ISILreportedly murdered a member of its Walayat Mosul Shura committee, at al-Ghizlani military base, Mosul, having accused him of conspiring against the group. On 28 June, ISIL murdered 32 of its own membersinRamadiandFallujahforallegedlypassingintelligencetoISF. http://www.humanrights.gov.iq/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=4584,28May2015(accessed7June2015);representativesof the Iraqi Ministry of Defence visited the family of the deceased (http://www.mod.mil.iq/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=779,28May2015,accessed7June2015). 31Theal-HisbaisagroupofspecialpolicethatensuresadherencetoISILrules. 30 30 12 On 8 August, ISIL executed six of its members for fleeing a battle with ISF and PMUs in Ramadi, Anbar.Subsequently,on1October,ISILexecutedanunknownnumberofitsownfightersinHawija district,southwestofKirkuk,afterdetainingthemasapunishmentforretreatingfromabattlewith Peshmerga,on30September. Onoraround9September,ISILexecuted34membersoftheNaqshbandigroupinHawijadistrict, Kirkuk. The group, also known as Jaish Rejal al-Tariqa al-Naqshbandi, or Army of the Men of the NaqshbandiOrder,isaformerinsurgencygroupthatwasinitiallybelievedtohavebeenalliedwith ISIL but more recently has been reported to have been involved in armed clashes with them. The victimswereaccusedbyISILof"apostasyandbetrayal". On16SeptemberISILkilledsevenwomenfromitsal-KhansaaBattalionfordisobeyingorders.The victimswereshotandtheirbodieswereleftattheentranceoftheBattalion'sheadquartersinJamia Street,centralMosul,asanexampleofwhathappenstothosewhodisobeyitsorders. Abductions ISILcontinuedtocarryoutalargenumberofabductions,includingofchildren,intheareasunderits control.Thereasonsformanyoftheabductionsareoftenunknown,althoughinformationsuggests the victims were targeted due to perceptions that they were opposed to ISIL ideology or control, thattheywere`strategically'targetedinordertobeusedasleverageagainstthirdpartiesor,inthe case of children, to be trained as combatants. Multiple reports of abductions were received from NinewaandKirkuk. Examples of abductions of those perceived by ISIL to be conspiring against it or supporting Government and associated forces include nine members of the al-Jabour tribe, including four sheikhs, whom ISIL abducted on 10 June in Sahil al-Malih village, Ayathiya sub-district, Ninewa Governorate.Itwasreportedthattheyhadbeenaccusedofbeingaffiliatedwithforcesmobilizingto liberate Mosul. The whereabouts and condition of the victims are unknown. On 1 and 2 July, ISIL abducted54civiliansinShirqatdistrict,Salahal-DinGovernorate,reportedlyinretaliationforantiISIL graffiti and slogans in support of PMUs appearing on walls in the area (one slogan reportedly read:"Hashdal-Sha'biarecoming").Thefateandwhereaboutsofthoseabductedremainunknown. ISIL allegedly carried out some abductions in order to pressure third parties. On 10 October, ISIL abductedaround100peopleinHaiSoumarneighbourhoodofMosul,Ninewa,reportedlyincluding relatives of the newly elected Ninewa Governor, as well as former Government security officers. Thirty abductees were released on the same day, while the others were reportedly taken to an unknown location. On 10 and 13 October, ISIL abducted 60 former ISF members who were also related to the new Ninewa Governor. ISIL has demanded that Albo Hamad tribal leaders (Sunni Arabs)inHatrapledgeallegiancetoISILinordertosecurethegroup'srelease. Between2and7September,ISILabductedaround50civiliansfromdifferentareasinHawijadistrict, Kirkuk,including,fourciviliansinal-Zabareaandtwoothersinal-Abbasiarea,on7September.The reasons for the abductions are reportedly varied: suspicions that some were planning to flee ISILcontrolled areas; suspicions of cooperation with ISF and PMUs; and refusal to volunteer to fight alongsideISIL.Thefateandwhereaboutsoftheabducteesareunknown. On14and15September,ISILabducteddozensofciviliansinISIL-occupiedHawija,Kirkuk.Militants fromISILraidedseveralvillagesonthewayfromMinizlavillageontheKirkuk-Hawijaroad,toHawija centre,includingHawijatownitself.Duringtheraids,ISILabducteddozensofcivilians,mainlymales aged20to40.Theindividualswereabductedonchargesofallegedcollusionandconspiracywithsocalledenemyforces,andplanningtoformanarmedgroup.Onesourceindicatedthattheincident occurredfollowingISILexecutionofmembersoftheNaqshbandigroup,andmayhavebeenlinked toafearofreprisalbysupporters. 13 On19September,ISILconductedacampaignofabductionsinHawijadistrict,southwestof Kirkuk. According to sources, ISIL abducted at least 10 Imams known as "moderate" Salafists,inAbbasisub-districtandsurroundingvillages.Theabductionsreportedlystemmed from the alleged distribution of leaflets, in and around Abbasi, voicing opposition to ISIL ideologyandindicatingthatitwasnotrepresentativeofIslam.A"moderate"Salafistgroup allegedly signed the leaflets. Sources reported that on the same day, ISIL abducted 15 civilian youths in al-Khan village, east of Hawija, on charges of cooperating with ISF. The whereaboutsoftheImamsandtheyouthsisunknown. Reports were received of the mass abduction of children by ISIL in order to train them as combatants.On21June,localmediareportedthatISILhadabducted1,227childrenagedbetween nine and 15 years from various districts of Mosul, Ninewa. The children were reportedly being forcedtoundergotrainingatISILcampsontheeasternoutskirtsofMosul.On23June,theMinistry ofHumanRightsissuedastatementconfirmingtheabductionofthechildren,addingthattheywere being held at the al-Salamiya Camp in Mosul. The statement further claimed that children who refused to obey ISIL orders were flogged, tortured or raped. However, information received and verifiedbyUNAMI/OHCHRon25Juneclaimedthatthenumberofabductedchildrenwaslowerthan initially reported, being between 800 and 900. The children were divided into two groups: those agedbetweenfiveand10wereplacedinareligiouseducationcamp;andthoseagedbetween10 and15wereforcedintomilitarytraining.ThechildrenhavebeentakentoISILal-Izzaandal-Ghizlani campsinthesouthofMosul. A variety of reasons were reported for other abductions. On 22 June, ISIL took six Sunni clerics captiveinMosul,Ninewa,forfailingtocomplywithanISILinstructionforbiddingthepracticeofthe taraweehprayers.Thefateandwhereaboutsoftheclericsarenotknown.Onoraround1August, four journalism students at the University of Mosul were abducted by ISIL from their homes in Mosul,Ninewa,forallegedlycooperatingwiththeinternationalpress.Reportedly,thestudentshad been abducted for publishing images of the, "...land of the caliphate," on social media, thereby "cooperating"withtheinternationalpress.Thestudentswereallegedlytakentoal-Ghizlanimilitary base to await being brought before a self-appointed ISIL judge. UNAMI/OHCHR was not able to verifythisincident. Conductofoperations Attacksagainstciviliansanddestructionofcivilianinfrastructureandobjects ISILcontinuedtodeliberatelytargetciviliansandcivilianobjectsforattack,andcarriedoutattacks heedlessoftheeffectsoncivilians.Itcontinuedtobaseitsfightersamongciviliansorincivilianareas so as to shield its fighters from attack. Deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, carrying out attacks heedless of the effects on civilians, and locating fighters among civilian and civilian infrastructure constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and can constitutewarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity.Anumberofcasesofthedestructionofhouses were received, particularly those belonging to Christian families and other minority religious and ethniccommunities,andrelativesorperceivedsympathizersofthosefightingagainstISIL. UNAMI/OHCHRcontinuedtoverifyreportsofthedirecttargetingofciviliansbyISILasadeliberate tactic,particularlytheuseofvehiclesorsuicideborneimprovisedexplosivedevices(VBIED/SBIED), takingaheavytolluponthecivilianpopulation.Forexample,ontheeveningof17July,astheEidalFitrcelebrationsmarkingtheendofRamadancommenced,asuicidevehicleladenwithexplosives (SVBIED) detonated in the main public market of Khan Bani Saad sub-district south of Baquba, Diyala, killing at least 108 people and wounding 167. Three police officers were killed and seven were wounded among the casualties. The incident devastated the area, destroying more than 50 shops and 70 cars, and leaving behind a large crater. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack in 14 socialmediaposts,declaringthethree-tonexplosiveattacktargetedtheShi'acommunity,allegedly to avenge the killing of Sunnis in Hawija. The United Nations Secretary-General and his Special RepresentativeforIraqbothcondemnedtheattackandofferedtheircondolencestothefamiliesof victimsinseparatestatements.32 On10August,aSBIEDattacktookplaceinacrowdedmarketplace,inHwaidervillage,justoutside of Baquba city, Diyala. According to reports, the perpetrator deliberately drove his vehicle into a crowdofpeoplegatheredatthemarketplace.Theexplosionkilledatleast61peopleandwounded atleast88,includingfourchildren.AnunverifiednumberofISFmembersarebelievedtohavebeen amongthecasualties.ADiyalafactionofISILclaimedresponsibilityfortheattackonsocialmedia. Ontheeveningof5October,amini-busriggedwithexplosiveswasdetonatedinamainmarketin Khalis district, northwest of Baquba, killing at least 40 civilians and wounding at least 60 others. Between 10 and 20 people remain missing. The majority of casualties are believed to have been civilians, including a significant number of women and children. ISIL-associated media claimed ISIL responsibilityfortheattack. InBaghdad,on13August,aVBIEDdetonatedattheJameelawholesalemarketintheShi'amajority SadrCity,intheeastofthecity.Accordingtoreports,atleast45peoplewerekilledandatleast72 wounded by the blast, for which ISIL claimed responsibility. The Deputy Special Representative of theUnitedNationsSecretary-GeneralforIraqcondemnedtheattackandofferedhiscondolencesto thefamiliesofvictims.33On6October,ISILdetonatedanIEDintheal-Zubairdistrict,westofBasra city, killing 10 civilians and injuring 25. The IED was planted in a vehicle that was parked on the street, in the centre of al-Zubair and also caused extensive damage to nearby shops and cars. ISIL claimedresponsibilityfortheblastonitswebsitesoonafter,statingthatitwasconnectedtoseveral other coordinated blasts that had occurred around the country, and aimed at killing and injuring membersoftheShi'acommunity.Thiswasthesecondattackofthiskindthattookplaceinsouthern Iraqthisyear­aftertheattackatUmQassarPort,BasraGovernorate,on18March,whenanIED detonated,killingfivepeopleandinjuringatleastfiveothers. Whiletheprecisereasonsformanyofthetargetedkillingsareunknown,informationindicatesthat ISILcontinuestotargetparticularindividualsandgroups,suchasthoseopposedorperceivedtobe opposed to it and its ideology. Former candidates for public office, employees and former employees of IHEC, and those suspected of passing information to Government and associated forceswereparticularlytargeted. On2June,ISILdestroyedeighthousesbelongingtoChristianfamiliesinHamdaniyadistrict,northof Mosul,Ninewa.On22June,italsoblewuphousesbelongingtoChristiansinHayal-Arabi,northof Mosul,andintheal-Zahoorarea,inthecentreofMosulcity.EighthousesweredestroyedinHayalArabi, while as many as 14 were reportedly destroyed in al-Zahoor. On 1 July, ISIL destroyed a ChristianhouseintheHayal-ShifaaareaofMosul. The houses of relatives or perceived sympathizers of those fighting ISIL were also targeted for destructionaspunishmentbyproxyandtoserveasanexampletoothers.On29July,ISILusedIEDs todestroy15housesbelongingtoeldersoftheSbaaweenclaninGwerinMakhmourdistrict,Erbil. Thehouseswereallegedlytargetedbecauseoftheelders'affiliationwiththeNationalCrowdForce (also known as the `National Mobilization to Liberate Ninewa').34 On 1 August, ISIL allegedly used IEDstodestroythreehousesinDwezatTahtanivillage,inQayarrasub-districtofMosul.Thehouses http://www.uniraq.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4073:statement-attributable-to-thespokesman-for-the-secretary-general-on-a-bomb-attack-north-of-Baghdad&Itemid=605&lang=en and http://www.uniraq.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4070:un-envoy-expresses-his-deepest-sorrowfollowing-devastating-massacre&Itemid=605&lang=en(accessed23July2015). 33 http://www.uniraq.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4153:acting-un-envoy-condemns-in-the-strongestterms-devastating-baghdad-bomb-attack&Itemid=605&lang=en. 34 The National Crowd Force (also known as the National Mobilization to Liberate Ninewa) is a group was specifically formedtoliberateMosulandistobedistinguishedfromPMUs/al-Hashidal-Sha'bi'. 32 15 were also reportedly targeted because their owners were al-Hashd al-Sha'bi members, currently fightingISILintheGwerfrontlineinMakhmour. On 2 September, ISIL destroyed 11 homes belonging to members of the Shabak community in eastern Mosul, Ninewa. On 3 September, it also blew up three houses belonging to relatives of membersoftheNationalCrowdForceandvolunteersinQayyarasub-district,southofMosul.On21 September, ISIL destroyed up to 21 houses in an unspecified village near Mosul, allegedly to intimidatethepopulation. Destructionordamageofplacesofreligiousandculturalsignificance ISIL continued to deliberately and wantonly loot and destroy places of religious and cultural significance.Ithastargetedancientsites,aswellaschurches,mosques,shrines,tombs,andgraves, whichISILconsidersasun-Islamic.Generally,thesesitesarelootedbeforebeingdestroyed. Examples of this destruction include the attack, using two IEDs, upon a Shi'a religious mosque/school in Kirkuk city, on 13 July. A first IED was detonated near Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq Husseiniya school, in the Wasiti area, southwest of Kirkuk city. A few minutes later, a second IED wasdetonatedacrossthestreetfromthesamefacility.Nocasualtieswerereportedintheincident. Multiplesourcesconfirmedthaton8May,ISILlootedandthendestroyedthebiggestSunnimosque in Badoush sub-district (35 km northwest of Mosul, Ninewa) allegedly due to the existence of a tombinsidethemosque,whichtheyobjectedto.Itwasreportedthaton12May,ISILblewupthe nearly200-year-oldMaryamKhatoonmosqueintheHawshKahnneighborhoodofMosul,Ninewa. On28May,PMUsandISFenteredtheSaiedKhareebareasouthofTikrit,Salah al-Din,whereintheyallegedlyfoundtheSaieedKhareebshrinedestroyed,the bodyoftheholyImamremovedfromhistomb,andthecontentsoftheshrine looted.TheShi'aAsa'ibAhlal-Haq(AAH)issuedastatement35allegingthatISIL wasresponsibleforthedestructionandlootingoftheshrine. On 3 June, ISIL destroyed a Sunni mosque in Ismail village, in Hawija district, Kirkuk Governorate, reportedlybecauseitcontainedthegraveofSheikhAhmedAbdullah,aSunniSufischolarwhodied in 1975 and who was a follower of the well-known Sufi Imam Abdulkadir al-Gailani. No civilian casualtieswerereported. On the evening of 24 August, pictures were posted on social media depicting the destruction of gravesinQairawansubdistrict,Sinjardistrict,Ninewa.Thephotoswereissuedbythemediaofficeof Walayahal-azirah(whichISILhasproclaimedasanadministrativeareathatincludesareasofSinjar, Tal Afar, Tal Abth, Baaj, Mahlbah and Zummar), with a statement depicting the destruction of `kufaar' graves and `manifestations of polytheism'. The series of 10 pictures shows ISIL elements smashinggravestoneswithshovelsandotherinstruments,anddestroyingabuildingwithexplosives andabulldozer.Ithasnotbeendeterminedifthepicturesweretakeninasinglelocation. ISILalsotargetedYezidiandChristianplacesofworship.WhilebrieflyoccupyingGabarravillage(a Yezidivillage,westofSinjartown),Ninewa,ISILdestroyedaYezidishrine(GubaSheikhHassan)with tworocket-propelledgrenades.On22August,itdestroyedtheal-Tahirachurch,inMosulcity,using bulldozers. The church belonged to the Syrian Orthodox community. On 12 September, ISIL reportedly used explosives to destroy the Syriac Orthodox church in al-Muhaniseen area, east of Mosul.Housesnearthechurchwerealsoreportedlydamagedintheexplosion. On 29 August, ISIL destroyed the Sunni Abu Bakr Mosque in Shoura sub---district, Mosul district, Ninewa, after removing items from the mosque. It reportedly used IEDs to destroy the mosque because it contained graves which ISIL considered to be `un-Islamic'. In addition to destroying the 35 http://www.ara.shafaaq.com/4227(accessed26October2015). 16 mosque, ISIL removed historical inscriptions from the front of two churches ­ the Virgin Mary ChurchandtheChaldeanChurch­locatedinDoctorStreet,centralMosul. Allegationsconcerningtheuseofchemicalweapons UNAMI/OHCHRhasreceivedinformationthatISILhasused,orhasattemptedtouse,chlorinegasin attacks. On or around 21 June, ISIL reportedly fired a chemical mortar shell that struck sandbag fortificationsataKurdishmilitarypositionnearMosulDam,Ninewa,causingseveralKurdishfighters nearwhereitlandedtobecomeill. On 12 August, ISIL allegedly used chemical weapons against Peshmerga forces stationed on the Gwerfrontline,Makhmourdistrict,Erbil.Internationalmediareportedon9SeptemberthatGerman military intelligence supported the claims that Peshmerga elements had been exposed to mustard gas. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons voiced serious concern over the reports.36 Attacksonindividualsonthebasisofsexualorientation UNAMI/OHCHRalsoverifiedanumberofreportsofindividualsmurdered(bythrowingthemfrom buildings)byISILforbeinghomosexual. On 4 June, ISIL killed three civilians for alleged homosexual acts. Two young males anda60-year-oldmanwerethrownfromtheNationalInsuranceCompanybuilding in the Dawasa area of central Mosul, Ninewa. A document condemning the men issuedbyanISILself-appointedcourtwasreadbeforethemenwerekilled.Pictures showingthekillingswerepostedonsocialmedia. On 27 June, ISIL allegedly executed four men it accused of committing sodomy, by throwing them fromthetallestbuildinginFallujah,Anbar.Avideowasputonlineshowingthemurders.On26July, ISILpostedsiximagesonsocialmediadepictingamanbeingkilledinMosul,Ninewa,forallegedly being homosexual. The images show a large crowd gathered in front of a building and the victim, blindfolded, with his hands apparently tied behind his back, kneeling on the ground while a condemnation from an ISIL self-appointed court is read out. Five of ISIL al-Hisba stand behind the victimwhoisthenthrownfromthetopofthebuilding. On23August,pictureswerepostedonsocialmediadepictingamanbeingthrownfromabuildingin Walayah Ninawa (the city of Mosul and surrounding towns). A caption states that the victim was killed for being homosexual. The same day, ISIL members threw nine people from a building in Mosul,Ninewa.ISILreportedlyroundedupresidentsofthecityinordertowatchtheincident,upon orders from an ISIL self-appointed court. It is not known if the report is related to the pictures postedonthesameday.Onthemorningof8October,ISILpubliclymurderedtwomenaged21and 26, by throwing them from the top of an eight-storey building, in the Palestine area of western Mosul,forallegedlybeinghomosexual.ThevictimswerekilledfollowingthedecisionofanISILselfappointedcourt. Attacksonwomenandchildren Gender-basedviolence,includingsexualviolence ISILcontinuedtosubjectwomenandchildrentosexualviolence,particularlyintheformofsexual slavery. UNAMI/OHCHR continues to believe that the number of people currently being held in https://www.opcw.org/news/article/dg-concerned-over-alleged-chemical-weapons-use-in-iraq/ (accessed 26 October2015). 36 17 slavery by ISIL numbers approximately 3,500.37 Those being held are predominantly women and children and come primarily from the Yezidi community, but a number are also from other ethnic and religious minority communities. UNAMI/OHCHR continues to have grave concerns for the welfareandsafetyofthoseheldinISILcaptivity. A source confirmed to UNAMI/OHCHR that on the evening of 8 May, a 24-year-old Yezidi girl was murdered by ISIL while trying to escape from captivity. She had been held in captivity in Kurse village, Sinjar district, Ninewa, after being abducted with her family from Snone sub-district, on 3 August2014.HerbodywasreportedlyleftontheroadandlaterfoundbyYezidifighters. On25JuneitwasreportedinNinewaGovernoratethat42YezidiwomenabductedfromtheSinjar region of Ninewa in 2014 had been taken to the ISIL-controlled town of Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor Governorate,easternSyria.Thereportclaimedthatthewomenwerebeingusedassexslavesand thatsomehadbeensoldtoISILfightersforbetweenUSD500andUSD2,000. On 3 August, it was reported that ISIL allegedly killed 19 women in Mosul, Ninewa, over 1 and 2 August,forrefusingtohavesexwithitsfighters.On 10 August, aKurdish Democratic Party official reported that ISIL fighters had been rewarded by ISIL leadership with the widows of executed mentomotivatethemtocontinuefighting. On 21 June, in Mosul, Ninewa, it was reported that ISIL had announced a Quran memorization competition in Mosul on the occasion of Ramadan, stating that the first three winners would reportedlyreceive`sexslaves'asprizes. Forcedrecruitmentanduseofchildren UNAMI/OHCHR received several reports that ISIL has been forcibly recruiting and using child soldiers. For instance, multiple sources confirmed that on 11 May, the unit of ISIL in charge of recruitmentvisitedhighschoolsintheHayal-TaminareaofeasternMosul,Ninewa,andinformed the students that they must pledge allegiance to the group and join jihad. The students were not giventheoptiontodeclineandtheirfamilieswerenotconsulted.Localmediafurtherreportedthat ISILhadestablishedmilitarytrainingcampsforchildreninTalAfarandinRaqqa,Syria. On14May,ISILusedsomerecruitedchildsoldierstoexecute15ofitsfighterswhohadlostbattles orretreatedfrombattlesinBashiqahsub-district,Hamdaniyadistrict,intheNinewaplains. On23May,ISILannouncedatschoolsanduniversitiesinNinewaGovernoratethatallmale students must join ISIL after the completion of their current exams. He announcement statedthattheal-HisbasectionofISIL,whichisresponsibleformonitoringanddisciplining theconductofresidents,wouldregisterthenamesofmalehighschoolstudentsofMosul.It wasreportedthataftertheexamperiodhadconcluded,studentswouldbeconvenedatthe Ma'amon and Hurraiah areas of eastern Mosul, where they would be vetted to ascertain theirphysicalfitness. On14August,ISILkilled18youngmales,allbelowtheageof18,forhavingrunawayfromfighting onthefrontlineinAnbar.Accordingtoasource,theboysleftthefrontwithoutbeingnoticed,but were identified by residents upon their return to Mosul. An ISIL self-appointed court allegedly orderedtheirkilling. UNAMI/OHCHR received information, collected from several families who had had their children abductedbyISIL,thatthegrouphaspossiblyrecruitedhundredsofchildreninAnbarGovernorate. FamiliestriedtoconvinceISILmembersnottotaketheirchildren,whichtheyrefused,statingthat Official sources in the Yezidi community informed OHCHR/UNAMI HRO that 5,838 people had been abducted by ISIL from August 2014 - 3,192 women and 2,646 men. As of 29 October, 2,258 had reportedly returned/escapedorwerereleased­311men,847women,533girls,and567boys. 37 18 the children should participate in jihad. The source also stated that some tribes in Anbar were allowing,andinsomecasesforcing,familiestosendtheirchildrentojoinISIL. Attacksonethnicandreligiousminoritycommunities ISIL continues to target members of different ethnic and religious communities, intentionally depriving them of their fundamental rights and subjecting them to a range of abuses under international human rights and humanitarian law. These acts appear to form part of a systematic and widespread policy that aims to suppress, permanently expel, or destroy many of these communitieswithinISILareasofcontrol. However,duringthereportingperiod,thenumberofindividualreportsofsuchabusesreceivedby UNAMI/OHCHR markedly decreased from previous reporting periods. It is likely that most of the membersofethnicandreligiousminoritycommunitiesformerlylocatedinareasofISILcontrolhave beenkilledorabductedbyISIL,orfledthoseareasduringtheperiodstartingfromJune2014upto April 2015. However, UNAMI/OHCHR cannot exclude that specific human rights abuses targeting individuals from ethnic and religious communities have continued in areas under ISIL control, but owing to the inaccessibility of these areas, it has not received such reports and is unable to verify them. Other abuses and violations perpetrated by ISIL against members of ethnic and religious communitiesandverifiedbyUNAMI/OHCHRarelistedunderothersubheadingsinthisreport. Denialofotherfundamentalrightsandfreedoms CivilianslivingunderISILrulearesubjectedtoaharshsystemofregulations,facingtortureandother cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment, including death, for failing to comply. Regulations touchuponallaspectsofeverydaylife,dictatingwherepeoplecantravel,howtheymustdress,to whomtheycanspeak,andwhattheycancelebrate. UNAMI/OHCHR was informed that men are required to grow beards of a certain length, while women face strict regulations concerning their clothing, employment and movements. Sources indicatedthatwomenmustbefullycoveredandareonlyallowedtomoveinpublicinthecompany ofwhatisdeemedtobeanappropriatelyrelatedmalechaperone. Multiplesourcesreportedthaton17May,ISILissuednewrulesfortheresidentsofMosul,Ninewa Governorate,forthemonthofRamadan(beginningaftermid-June)whichpermittedmentowork foronlytwohoursaday,andrequiredtheyspendtherestofthedaypraying.Additionally,women would not be permitted to leave their homes from dawn until sunset (time of fasting). After that, women would be allowed to move, but only if accompanied by an appropriate male (a husband, brother,sonorfather).Furthermore,allstoresinMosul(exceptfoodstoresandpharmacies)would beclosedduringthelast10daysofRamadan.Reportedly,theruleswereannouncedthroughlocal televisionchannelsinMosulandonbannershunginthestreets.Itwasalsoconfirmedthaton17 May, ISIL started instructing Mosul's male residents to grow beards and shave mustaches. The measure is allegedly partly intended to make it more difficult to distinguish ISIL members from civilians.On10June,ISILissuedalistofinstructionsconfirmingtheserules. AsidefromregulationsimposedforRamadan,everydaylifeinareasunderISILcontrolisreportedto becharacterizedbyarbitraryabuseofpowerandroutinecontrolovermostaspectsoflife.Sources reported that in Ninewa Governorate, ISIL members frequently steal the possessions of civilians, demandrentfrompeoplewhofledtheirvillagesandmovedintoabandonedhomeselsewhere,and thatciviliansareforcedtopayataxbasedonthevalueoftheirpossessions.Strictdresscodeshave beenimposedonmenandwomen,withwomenbeingfinedifnotfullycovered.Underrulesissued in May, men must adopt an Afghani style of dress and grow long beards. Those without beards wouldbejailedfortwomonths.On24September,duringEidal-Adha,ISILabducted36youngmen in Mosul, Ninewa, for wearing jeans, considered by ISIL as inappropriate. Members of al-Hisba reportedlypunishedthemenbyshavingtheirhairandfloggingtheminthestreet. 19 ISILregularlyforcespeopletogatherinpublicplacesinMosultowatchpunishmentsimposedbyits self-appointedcourts,includingstoningandbeheadings. MenarepressuredtojoinISIL,includingthroughImamsatlocalmosques. InareascontrolledbyISILmanyvillagesarereportedlyreceivingonlyafewhoursofelectricityaday, if at all, and food is becoming scarce. The food available for purchase has become very expensive and people are reportedly beginning to starve. Villagers are not permitted to leave without permissionfromISILandthosecaughtattemptingtodosohavebeentorturedorexecuted.Similar conditionshavebeenreportedbypeoplewhohaveescapedfromHawija,Kirkuk. Violationsandabusescommittedbypro-Governmentforces UNAMI/OHCHR has received reports of abuses and violations of human rights and violations of internationalhumanitarianlawperpetratedbypro-Governmentforces. ISF and associated forces are bound to respect applicable international humanitarian law in the conductofmilitaryoperations.UNAMI/OHCHRcontinuestoreceiveinformationthatsomemilitary operationsappeartohavedirectlytargetedciviliansandcivilianinfrastructureorwerecarriedout withouttakingallfeasibleprecautionstoprotectthecivilianpopulationandcivilianobjects.Reports received by UNAMI/OHCHR also indicate that some associated forces have been operating largely outside of Government control and have perpetrated abuses against civilians, including killings, abductionsanddestructionofproperty. Restrictionsonfreedomofmovement Ashugenumbersofcivilianscontinuedtomovearoundthecountry,fleeingfightingorviolenceor ISILoccupation,theyhaveoftenfacedrestrictionsthathavehamperedtheiraccesssafeareas. Forinstance,on11July,around55families(composedof316individuals,including50children)who hadfledconflictareasinAnbar,Salahal-DinandKirkukwerestoppedattheDaquq-TuzKhurmatu checkpoint on their way to Kirkuk city. Local security sources confirmed that the Kirkuk governor had given instructions to prevent more IDPs from entering the city. Responding UN agencies reportedanumberofhumanitarianconcernsofthosestoppedatthecheckpoint,includingtheneed forshelterfromsevereheatandexposure,dehydration,malnutrition,acutemedicalneedsandthe needforpsychosocialsupport.UNAMI/OHCHRalsoreceivedreportsthatsomeofthefamilieswere able to enter Kirkuk city only through the sponsorship of relatives or friends who are Kirkuk residents,orthroughbribesgiventolocalauthorities. On11September,around250familieswhohadescapedtheclashesinvillagesnearDaquq district,Kirkuk(includingthevillagesofTalRaba'a,AlbuMohammed,DalafShagheer,Dalaf Kabeer,Saba'aNissan,Gumbus,Zaglawa,SmoodandTappaDooSar),gatheredinapublic park near the Daquq-Tuz Khurmatu checkpoint. They were prevented by security forces fromproceedingfurthertowardssaferareasinDaquqorKirkukcity. Policeraidsandarbitraryarrests UNAMI/OHCHRreceivedreportsofIDPs,mostlyfromKirkukcity,whowereabletoaccesssafeareas butweresubjectedtoarbitraryarrestsinraidsbysecurityforces.Forexample,on3June,security forcesinKirkukconductedaraidintheWahadHuzairanneighbourhoodinKirkukcityandarrested 71IDPsonsuspicionofterrorismortrespassingpublicgrounds.Thearrestedindividualswerefrom Salahal-Din,Anbar,Basra,DiyalaandBaghdad.Suchraidsandarrestswerefrequentinthesouthern neighborhoodsofKirkukcitywheretherewasalargenumberofIDPs.Thearrestedindividualswere oftentimesreleasedafteradayortwoindetention. 20 On16July,securityforcesinKirkukconductedaraidintheKhadhra'aarea,inthesouthwest partofthecity.Reportedlyconductedasaprecautionarymeasure,theraidtookplacethe eve of the Eid holidays. Seventy-nine individuals were arrested, most of whom were IDPs residing in Kirkuk city. The security authorities allegedly had received information about suspected terrorist activities before and during Eid holidays. The arrested individuals were releasedwithintwodaysandwithoutanycharge. On27August,policeforcesconductedaraidinal-Askarineighbourhood,inthesoutheastofKirkuk, andarrested53individuals,mostofwhomwereIDPs.TheyweredetainedinDomizpolicestation andwerereleasedafterasecurityscreeningandbackgroundcheck. On1September,42individuals,mostofwhomwereIDPs,werearrestedduringaraidintheWahed Huzairan neighbourhood, a predominantly Sunni Arab area in Kirkuk city. A total of 31 individuals were arrested for not being registered, not having identification documents, or having fake documents.ElevenotherswerereportedlywantedforsuspectedaffiliationwithISIL. On 22 September, security forces conducted a raid in Quriya area of Kirkuk city. According to sources, the raid was conducted in neighbourhoods close to the Kirkuk government building, includingQuriya,Shatorlu,OmmalSquare,AlmasandSahatTayran.Atotalof68IDPsfromdifferent governorateswerearrested,withasignificantproportioncomingfromTuzdistrictinSalahal-Din. Theywerearrestedforvariousreasons,includingillegalentryintoKirkuk,failuretoregisterwiththe Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM), and failure to present proper identification. Anothersourcestatedthatsecurityconcernspromptedtheraidbasedontheproximityofalarge number of IDPs to the Kirkuk government building. According to security sources, all 68 were releasedon22-23September. Forcedevictions UNAMI/OHCHRverifiedanumberofreportsoffamiliesandindividualswhowereabletoaccesssafe areasbeingforciblymovedfromsuchareasandtheirtemporarysheltersandstructuresdemolished. For instance, on 27 July, security forces evicted a number of IDPs living in unlawfully constructed housesinSayadaneighbourhood,inthesouthofKirkukcity.TheIDPsweremainlyfromSalahal-Din and Diyala, and had moved to Kirkuk years ago as part of previous waves of IDPs. During the eviction, 39 male IDP residents were arrested by security forces but were released after they promised to vacate their homes. As of 30 July, around 80 homes had been demolished while the securityforcesclaimedthat10housesweredestroyed. UNAMI/OHCHR also received reports that on 16 August, Peshmerga forces started demolishing an unknownnumberofhousesandstructuresinSunniArab-inhabitedareasinJalawlainDiyala.This demolitionhappenedintheTajneed,WahdaandShuhadaaareasofthegovernorate.Photosofthe reported demolition were given to UNAMI/OHCHR showing several demolished and burned structures. Unlawfulkillings UNAMI/OHCHRreceivedanumberofseriousallegationsofunlawfulkillingscommittedbyISFand associatedforces.Theseincidentsincludedallegedattacksandreprisalsagainstpersonsbelievedor perceivedtosupportortobeassociatedwithISIL. Forexample,on9June,avideowaspostedinsocialmediashowingagroupofmen,wearingwhat appeared to be Iraqi Federal Police uniforms, burning a cadaver and shouting sectarian chants. Sources informed UNAMI/OHCHR that the corpse was found near al-Alam sub-district in Salah alDin,duringtheoperationstoliberateTikrit,inFebruary.Inthevideo,thosesettingfiretothebody wereheardsayingthedeceased'snameandthathewasaSaudicitizen.Theywerealsoheardsaying 21 that this was a gift for the people of al-Hasa and Qatif (areas in Saudi Arabia where there are a significantnumberofShi'aMuslims). Inasimilarincident,avideowaspostedonlinepurportingtoshowmembersoftheShi'aImamAli BrigadesburningthebodyofamanhangingbyhisfeetinthetownofGarma,northeastofFallujah, inAnbar.Inthevideo,theperpetratorsaccusedthemanofbeingamemberofISIL.Accordingtoa localsource,thevideowasshotinthetownofGarma.Accordingtoanotherlocalsource,theman killed was a member of ISIL from Fallujah. UNAMI/OHCHR could not independently verify the incidentnortheauthenticityofthevideo. Abductions UNAMI/OHCHR received reports of abductions allegedly perpetrated by pro-Government forces againstSunnitribesorindividuals. For instance, on 16 July, a group of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) members entered Jalludiyat village in Dujail district in Tikrit in Salah al-Din, and abducted 12 civilians from the Khazraj tribe (which is a Sunnitribe)reportedlyduetoatribalconflictbetweentwofamilies.Thebrotherofatriballeader wasamongthoseabducted. On17July,unidentifiedarmedmenabductedacivilianintheal-AskariareaofTuzKhurmatudistrict, in Salah al-Din. The victim was a Sunni Arab IDP from Sulaiman Beg sub-district, south of Tuz Khurmatu.On18July,unidentifiedarmedmenabductedanothercivilianintheal-Askariarea.The secondvictimwasalsoanIDPfromtheSunniArabcommunityfromHilewatvillageinTuzKhurmatu district.SourcesstronglyassertedtoUNAMI/OHCHRthatmilitiamemberswerebehindboththese abductions. On 28 July, armed militia members abducted three civilians on the main road between Abu Saida sub-districtandBaquba.ThevictimswereSunniArabsfromtheZuherattribeandincludedtheson ofatriballeader. On 1 September, armed militia members wearing black uniforms stopped police and army vehiclesthatweretransportingatleast40detainees,allSunniArabsfromSalahal-Din.The militia stopped the convoy near Balad district, Salah al-Din, after firing warning shots into the air and at the tires of the vehicles. They then physically assaulted and disarmed the securityforces.TheabducteeshadbeenarrestedinJuneforterrorism-relatedoffensesand had been detained in the Brigade 17 Iraqi Army detention centre in Dujail, Salah al-Din. Reports further stated that, at the time of their abduction, the detainees were being transferredtoBaghdad. In the early morning of 27 September, a convoy of 20 pick-up trucks carrying masked gunmen in military uniform arrived in the Alb-Tua'ma area of Hujjaj village, in Baiji district, Salah al-Din, and forcibly took at least 28 civilians from the area - which is inhabited by members of the al-Jubour tribe.Thevictimswereallmalesfromtheal-Jubourtribe.Asourceindicatedthattheyweretakenin a systematic manner, based on a list of names produced according to intelligence and security information. All abductees allegedly had current or past affiliation with ISIL or family connections associatedwithISIL.Othersourcesreportedthatthemaskedgunmenwhotookthecivilianswere militia. On22October,PMUsabductedatleast175civiliansfromtheAskariandTinareasofTuzKhurmatu district,Salahal-Din.ThevictimswereSunniArabs,whohadbeendisplacedtoTuzKhurmatusince June 2014. The operation started at sunset, with people grabbed during house-to-house searches andinthestreets,takentoPMUsfacilitiesinSulaimanBegandYengijavillage,andkepttherefor two days for questioning. On 23 October, the bodies of three abductees (a Police officer and two civilians)werereportedlyfoundintheAskariarea.Around130oftheabducteeswerereleased;the 22 others remained captive at the time of reporting. The operation was conducted without arrest warrantsorcoordinationwithlocalauthorities. Attacksagainstethnicandreligiouscommunities UNAMI/OHCHRreceivedonereportinvolvinganallegedattackbyGovernment-associatedforcesof membersofanethnicorreligiouscommunityinDiyala.On5May,threetruckdriverswerekilledat acheckpointsetupbyShi'amilitiasinNaftKhanaareainKhanaqindistrict,northofBaquba,Diyala. According to a source, the victims were Kurds from Sulaymaniyah. Their trucks were reportedly burned.SourcesreportedthatsincethebeginningofMay,Shi'amilitiasstartedsettingcheckpoints in the area and stopped Kurdish drivers and passengers, harassing and assaulting them as well as damagingtheirvehicles. Conductofoperations UNAMI/OHCHR received continued reports of heavy civilian casualties attributed to airstrikes. However, UNAMI/HRO was unable to verify most of these reports. Difficulties also arise in attributing airstrikes to specific military forces. It is also complex to assess whether principles of distinction and proportionality were adhered to, considering that ISIL deliberately bases itself in civilian areas, often fails to distinguish themselves as fighters, and use civilians and civilian infrastructureasshields. Airstrikes On22-23May,UNAMI/OHCHRreceivedareportthatairstrikeshital-Najjar,al-RifaiandSahaaareas inwesternMosulinNinewa,allegedlykilling30civiliansandwounding62others,includingwomen andchildren.UNAMI/OHCHRwasnotabletoverifythisreport. On 3 June, an explosion due to an airstrike38 in Kirkuk's Hawija district allegedly killed several ISIL fighters and civilians. Some reports indicated that the structure was a storage facility for chemical fertilizers,whileothersreportedthatthewarehousewasbeingusedtobuildvehicle-borneIEDs.A memberoftheKirkukProvincialCouncilwasquotedbymultiplelocalsourcesasstatingthataround 150 individuals, including women and children, were allegedly killed and wounded in the blast. Picturesandvideoshaveemergedinmediaandonlineshowinganareapurportingtobetheblast site that has been almost completely flattened. UNAMI/OHCHR was not able to verify the authenticityofthephotosorthevideos,northenumberofciviliancasualties. On8June,localsourcesreportedthatanairstrikeinMosul,Ninewa,caused33civiliancasualties. The report alleged that several residential neighbourhoods in al-Zuhour district were hit, killing 20 civilians, including seven children and nine women, and wounding 13 others, mostly women. The source claimed that there were no ISIL members in the affected neighbourhoods. UNAMI/OHCHR wasunabletoverifythestatusofallthecasualtiesnorwhowasresponsiblefortheairstrikes. On11June,anairstrikereportedlyhitanISILtargetnearamarketinHawija,Kirkuk.Accordingtoa source,10civilianswerekilledandwoundedintheincident.Otherreportsmentionedmorethan60 civilians killed and over 80 wounded. UNAMI/OHCHR was unable to verify the exact number of casualtiesnorwhowasresponsiblefortheairstrike. On23June,ahousewasallegedlytargetedbyanairstrikeinBaijidistrict,Salahal-Din,whichkilled six civilians (including four children) and wounded eight others. The house was reported to have beenlocatedclosetoamosquewhich,atthetimeoftheattack,wasoccupiedbyISIL.Alocalsource from Baiji stated that the house was hit by mistake and that the target was the ISIL-occupied mosque.Thesourcehowevercouldnotconfirmwhocarriedouttheairstrike. In an article published by the Associated Press, a US Air Force official acknowledged the Hawija airstrike was by US forces, with no confirmation of civilian casualties. (accessed11June2015). 38 23 Accordingtoasource,on1July,17civilians,includingfourchildrenandsixwomen,werereportedly killed in an airstrike conducted in the al-Rifaie area of western Mosul, Ninewa. 11 other civilians werereportedlywounded.UNAMI/OHCHRwasunabletoverifythestatusofallthecasualtiesnor whowasresponsiblefortheairstrike. On 31 July, up to 40 civilians may have been killed and over 30 wounded when three housesallegedlyshelteringIDPswashitbyanairstrikeinRutba,westofRamadi,Anbar. Officialsourcesconfirmedtheincidentandthenumberofcasualties,whichincluded18 womenand11children(under14yearsold).Thehousesweretargetedbymilitaryjets after receiving information that ISIL elements were allegedly inside the houses. The governorofAnbarcalledforanimmediateinvestigationoftheincident.On3August,the SpecialRepresentativeoftheSecretary-General(SRSG)inIraqandHeadofUNAMIissued a press release expressing serious concern at the reported airstrike, and called on the GovernmentofIraqtoinvestigatetheincident.39 Ontheafternoonof18August,amanandhis12year-olddaughterwerereportedlykilledwhenan airstrike hit al-Minassa street, northern Mosul. The airstrike allegedly targeted a vehicle carrying threeassistantstoISILleaderAbuBakral-BaghdadiandajudgeofanISILself-appointedcourt,who wereallkilled.Aroundmidnighton24August,anairstriketargetedavehiclecarryingISILelements in the Majmoua Thaqafiya area of northern Mosul. The attack reportedly killed nine civilians, includingonewomanandachild,andwoundedthreeothercivilians. In the early morning of 1 August, military jets allegedly carried out airstrikes in Zargali village,Wartisub-districtofRawanduzdistrict,ErbilGovernorate.Theairstrikeskilledat least eight individuals and wounded 16. Zargali village is home to around 27 families. AccordingtowitnessesinterviewedbyUNAMI/OHCHRaftertheattacks,theirvillagewas attacked by Turkish military jets on suspicion that combatants from PKK or the Kurdish Workers' Party were present in the area. However, they denied this and indicated that PKKcombatantsresideinacampintheQandilmountains.Theintervieweesaddedthat four different attacks occurred on 1 August (from 3h50 a.m. to 6h35 a.m.). The first attackreportedlyconsistedoftwostrikes;thesecondattackconsistedofasinglestrike; the third and fourth consisted of four rockets each which hit simultaneously. After the initial attacks, some residents left their homes and sought shelter in a nearby farm. However, witnesses alleged that the ensuing attacks were directed at them and other fleeing residents. Some individuals who tried to assist those wounded were killed or woundedbythelaterattacks.Theattacksdestroyedsixhousesandkilledfarmanimals. On3SeptemberanairstrikehitabridgeinJazeeraal-Khaldiya,around20kilometreseastofRamadi, Anbar,killing46civiliansandwounding20.Anothersourceconfirmedtheincidentbutstatedthat thecasualtieswereISILmembers.UNAMI/OHCHRwasnotabletoconfirmthenumberofcasualties or their status. On the same day, another airstrike reportedly hit a residential area in eastern Ramadi, killing 28 civilians. A single source reported this second incident and UNAMI/OHCHR was unabletoverifyit. Intheearlymorningof20September,anairstrikehittheal-GhabatareaofMosulcity,asaresultof which five civilians (including two women and one girl) from one family were killed. The family memberswereinsidetheirhomeatthetime,whichwasclosetoanISILheadquarters.Whenthat UnitedNationsIraq,"SRSGKubisexpressesseriousconcernatreportsofciviliancasualtiesinallegedAnbarairstrike," Baghdad, 3 August 2015 last accessed20October2015. 39 24 headquarters was hit, weapons and other equipment inside exploded, causing damage to nearby homesandkillingthefamily.Othersourcesreportedthatfourciviliandiedintheattack(a48-yearoldman,a20-year-oldman,a37-year-oldwoman,anda13-year-oldgirl)whiletwocivilianswere seriouslywounded. On29September,anairstrikewasreportedtohavehittheformerSunniendowmentbuildingnext to the Ninewa Governorate building, in central Mosul. According to some sources, the attack allegedly killed eight civilians (including two women) in addition to 19 ISIL fighters. Around 10 minutes later, as civilians were gathering in the area, another airstrike allegedly hit the same location, killing 12 civilians (including two children and a woman) and wounding seven, some critically.Othersourcesreportedhighercasualtyfigures. On5October,anairstrikemistakenlytargetedacivilianhouseinAtshanavillage,eastofHawijaand southwestofKirkuk,thatbelongedtotheMukhtarofthevillage,killingeightpersonsfromthesame family,includingseveralwomenandchildrenandtheMukhtarhimself. At10h30a.m.on20October,sevencivilianswerekilled­includingthreewomenandtwochildren­ and one was seriously wounded when the minibus in which they were travelling was hit by an airstrike.Thevictimswereallmembersofonefamilyandweretravellingfromal-Qawsiyatvillagein Wanasub-district,TalKaifdistrict,toMosul. Shelling UNAMI/OHCHRobtainedseveralreportsofciviliancasualtiesresultingfromshelling,allegedlybyISF andassociatedforces,ofareasoccupiedbyISILfighters.Inmanyofthereports,mortarroundshit neighbourhoodspopulatedbycivilians. Forinstance,accordingtoasource,between30Apriland6May,12menwerekilledand35adults, includingonewoman,werewoundedinAnbarGovernorate.Accordingtothesource,mostofthe casualtieswerecausedbyshelling,allegedlycarriedoutbyISFandassociatedforces.Accordingto anothersource,intheeveningof4June,ISFandassociatedforcesallegedlyconductedshellingin theJolanarea,northernFallujah,Anbar,killingamanandwoundinghiswifeandtheirfivechildren. UNAMI/OHCHRcouldnotverifythesereports. On 9 June, local sources in Fallujah confirmed that nine individuals were killed and 12 others woundedduringbombardmentexchangesbetweensecurityforcesaroundthecity'sperimeterand ISILfighters-whohavebeenoccupyingthecityformorethanayear. Accordingtoasource,on16June,ISFandassociatedforcescarriedoutshellingintheJolanareain northern Fallujah, killing two siblings (a three-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy) and wounding three men. UNAMI/OHCHR received video footage which showed a damaged house with several blood-stainedareas,andanothervideodisplayingthebodyofagirllyingonthefloor,andthefather and a male neighbour claiming that the shelling was carried out by ISF and associated forces. UNAMI/OHCHRcouldnotverifytheauthenticityofthevideos. A similar incident is alleged to have occurred on 19 June when, according to a source, shelling, allegedlybyISFandassociatedforces,ontheJolanareainFallujah,killedthreecivilians:twoboys (five-and12-year-old)andaman.16civilians,includingawomanandtwochildren,werereportedly wounded in the incident. UNAMI/OHCHR received videos and photos showing the bodies of the boys. The videos also showed a public gathering around the bodies of the children and several peoplecondemningthekilling,claimingthatthedeathswereduetotheindiscriminateshellingby ISFandassociatedforcesofcivilianhouses.UNAMI/OHCHRcouldnotverifytheauthenticityofthe videosandphotos. Accordingtoasource,on21June,ISFandassociatedforcesallegedlyconductedshellingoperations in Fallujah, killing a man and wounding six other civilians, including four children. UNAMI/OHCHR 25 receivedphotospurportedlyshowingoneofthechildcasualties.UNAMI/OHCHRcouldnotverifythe authenticityofthephotos. Accordingtoasource,duringtheperiod12to15July,40bodies(includingthoseofsixwomenand fourchildren)and94woundedindividuals(including17womenand25children)werebroughttoa hospital in Anbar. Reportedly, most casualties were caused by shelling allegedly carried out by ISF andassociatedforces.UNAMI/OHCHRwasnotabletoverifythisreport. Destructionofcivilianinfrastructureandproperty Accordingtoapplicablerulesofinternationalhumanitarianlaw,civilianinfrastructureandproperty maynotbeattackedunlesstheanticipatedmilitaryadvantagetobegainedoutweighstheharmthat the civilian population would suffer as a result of the attack.UNAMI/OHCHR has nonetheless continuedtoreceivereportsofISFandassociatedforcesapparentlydeliberatelydestroyingcivilian infrastructure or failing to take adequate precautions in the planning and execution of their operations. Accordingtoasource,ontheafternoonof9July,airstrikeshitamarketplaceinShourasub-district, Mosuldistrict,killing11civilians(includingthreewomenandfourchildrenagedbetweentwoand 11) and wounding 12 others. The intended target of the airstrikes was reportedly al-Ameen secondary school, which was allegedly occupied by ISIL fighters at the time of the attacks. The marketplace would have been mistakenly hit instead. UNAMI/OHCHR was not able to verify this report. Intheearlymorningof13August,amaternityandchildren'shospitalinNassafvillage,south Fallujah,washitbyairstrikesreportedlycarriedoutbyISFwarplanespursuingISILfighters. Sources confirmed the airstrikes destroyed the hospital and killed at least 22 individuals (including six women and eight children) and wounded 52 (including eight women and 17 children). A local hospital continued to receive casualties until late evening on 13 August. Thespokespersonofthehospitalreportedthat31individualswerekilledand39wounded. In a public statement, the provincial council of Anbar called on the Defense Ministry to accept responsibility for the attack and to exert caution when targeting areas with a high civilianpopulation. On2and3August,PeshmergaforcesallegedlydestroyedcivilianhousesandGovernmentbuildings inDibisdistrict,Kirkuk.UsingIEDsandotherexplosives,Peshmergaforcesalsoallegedlydestroyed civilian houses in Dor Ray Ula and Dor Ray Thania villages, Mullah-Abdullah sub-district, Kirkuk. Government buildings located in the city centre of the sub-district, including the City Council building and the Police Department, were also allegedly set on fire. UNAMI/OHCHR could not independentlyverifytheseallegedattacksbyPeshmergaforces. On the evening of 20 to 21 August, Turkish airstrikes hit farms in several villages in the Gara mountains, including Sapendari, Meezhi, Gargashi, Dearash, and Mehidai, in Deralok sub-district, Amedi district, in Dohuk. The airstrikes reportedly caused fires. During that same evening, Turkish shelling and airstrikes hit villages in Kani Masi sub-district, Amedi district, close to the Turkish border, burning farms and destroying approximately 200 honey farms. On the night of 21 to 22 August, Turkish airstrikes allegedly hit Zharga and Mar Dawa villages, in the foot of the Qandil Mountains, in Pashdar district in Sulaymaniyah. A PKK clinic was reportedly destroyed, with woundedPKKmembersinside.SixPKKwereallegedlykilledandanunknownnumberwounded. After ISF and PMUs reclaimed areas of Baiji, Salah al-Din, from ISIL, on 18-19 October, PMUs allegedlydestroyedandburnedpublicandprivateproperties.TheyalsoreportedlyblewupthealFattah Sunni mosque and the two-storey Wadhban market in the city centre of Baiji district. After theallegeddestructionofthemosque,PMUsaskedPoliceandmediatoleaveseveralareasofthe 26 district,allegedlybecauseoftheneedtodefusenumerousIEDsinthearea.Itwasfurtherreported that many civilian houses were destroyed during the fighting between ISF and PMUs against ISIL. PMUsallegedlycontinuedtoburnhousesofresidentsbelievedtobeassociatedwithISIL.Sikekand Tal Abu Jarad areas in Baiji were reportedly completely destroyed during the fighting. Similarly, in Siniya sub-district, almost all civilian houses were reportedly destroyed after the fighting ceased. PMUsallegedlyconsideralltheresidentsofthesub-districtasassociatedwithISIL. Violationsandabusescommittedbyunidentifiedactors UNAMI/OHCHR documented a substantial number of human rights abuses committed by unidentified perpetrators. Circumstantial factors in some cases suggested responsibility but were insufficienttowarrantfirmattribution. Unidentifiedperpetratorscausedatleast7,556civiliancasualties(2,365killedand5,191wounded), whichcomprises69percentofallcasualtiesacrossIraqduringthereportingperiod.Baghdadwas the worst affected governorate, with 5,843 casualties (1,670 killed and 4,173 wounded) and 92 percent of them attributed to unidentified perpetrators. Tactics tended to involve the use of a variety of IEDs, often detonated in public places or where civilians congregate, targeted killings (bombings,shootings,etc.),andabductions. Unlawfulkillings Unlawful killings continued to be recorded in significant numbers. Targeted individuals included parliamentarians,tribalandreligiousleaders,judges,andotherpublicofficials,aswellasmembers ofcertainethnicorreligiouscommunities,suchastheSunniArabcommunityinKirkuk. Throughout the reporting period, some members of the Sunni Arab community in Kirkuk were targeted by unknown gunmen. In perhaps the most high-profile case, on 20 September,unknowngunmenshottheChiefJudgeoftheHawijaDistrictCourtandthreeof hisbodyguardswhilethejudgewasleavinghishomeinKirkukCitycentre.Hewasseriously wounded and later died in hospital. Other examples include the assassination of the Chairman of the Hawija District Council, on 3 September, and the killing of two Arab engineersfromtheNorthOilCompanybyunknowngunmen,on3Augustand3September. Otherexamplesofkillingsthatappeartobeconnectedwiththevictim'sethnicityorreligioninclude that of three civilians from the Sunni Arab community, who were shot and killed in different locations of Muqdadiya district, Diyala, on 7 September. On 5 June, a member of the Christian community was abducted from his home and killed, despite his family having paid a ransom. His body was later found in the al-Qanat area, eastern Baghdad. The body of another member of the Christiancommunity,whohadbeenabductedon7July,wasfoundintheGarageAmanaarea,also ineasternBaghdad. PersonsconnectedwithPMUswerealsothevictimsofunidentifiedgunmen.InBasra,twocivilians wereshotandkilledon25June.TheywerereportedlyformerpoliceofficersinMosulwho,afterthe fallofthecitytoISIL,joinedtheAsayibAhlal-Haq.On2August,securityforcesfoundthebodyofa reportedAsayibAhlal-HaqmemberinImamAhmedquarterofTuzKhurmatudistrict,Salahal-Din. Theman,whohadbeenabductedbyunidentifiedgunmenon31Julyandhadgunshotwoundsto thehead,wasTurkmenShi'a. Inothercases,thepossiblemotiveforthekillingwasnotapparent.On29June,theremainsofthree males, aged around 40, were found in the al-Gbasi area, east of Basra. The victims had been handcuffed and blind-folded, and died from gunshot wounds to the back and the head. On 24 27 August,unidentifiedgunmenkilledtheImamofamosqueinBaladruz,eastofBaquba,Diyala,while hewasleavingthemosqueaftereveningprayer. A large number of unidentified bodies were recovered daily during the reporting period. In many cases,investigationscouldnotrevealtheidentityof,orotherinformationabout,thevictims.Bodies oftenboregunshotwoundsandweresometimesfoundblindfoldedand/orwiththeirhandsand/or feet bound. Some also exhibited signs of ill-treatment and torture. UNAMI/OHCHR recorded 551 unidentifiedbodiesduringthereportingperiod,mostlyinBaghdad(436).Itwasunabletoverifya largenumberofotherreportsofkillings. Whilethemajorityofbodiesrecoveredwerethoseofmen,thebodiesofwomenandchildrenwere alsofound.ManywomenwereamongthebodiesthatwererecoveredinBaghdadonadailybasis, thevictimsofunidentifiedkillers.On29June,forexample,thebodiesoftwowomenwerefoundin differentlocationsinBaghdad,bothhavingdiedofgunshotwounds.On5September,innorthwest Baghdad,thebodiesoftwochildrenwerefound,oneagedsevenandtheother12.Thechildrenhad reportedlybeenabductedbyunidentifiedgunmen. Abductions UNAMI/OHCHR continued to receive reports of abductions by unknown perpetrators. The whereaboutsandfateofmanyabducteesremainsunknown. Several abductions occurred in Salah al-Din Governorate, including on 9 July, when unidentified gunmen using two pick-up trucks abducted five civilians from Tuz Khurmatu, east of Tikrit. The abductionhappenedclosetotheheadquartersofthePatrioticUnionofKurdistan,inTuzKhurmatu. All victims were IDPs from the Sunni community in Diyala. Also, on 4 July, unidentified gunmen abducted three truck drivers on the road between Amerli and Tuz Khurmatu, Salah al-Din. The abducteeswerereportedlyfromSulaimanBekarea,southofTuzKhurmatu.Itwasreportedthata ransomwasaskedfortheirrelease.Similarly,on6July,unidentifiedgunmenabductedalocalSahwa leaderinHayal-Shurtaarea,Samarracitycentre,Salahal-Din.Accordingtoasource,thegunmen belonged to PMUs. Also in Salah al-Din, on 27 September, an unknown military force reportedly arrestedatleast28civilianswhenaconvoyof20pick-uptruckscarryingmaskedgunmeninmilitary uniformenteredavillageinBaijidistrict,inapre-dawnraid.Atriballeaderwasphysicallyassaulted duringtheincursion. UnknowngunmenhaveabductedciviliansfromtheSunniArabcommunityinDiyala.Between13 and15May,ninecivilians,includingtheImamofaSunnimosque,werereportedlyabductedfrom theSunniArabcommunityindifferentlocationsaroundDiyala.Onehassincebeenreleasedafter thepaymentofransombutthewhereaboutsoftheothersremainunknown. UNAMI/OHCHRalsoreceivedinformationregardingaspikeinabductionsofciviliansinandaround Baquba district, Diyala, in the wake of the suicide car bomb attacks on 10 August, near Baquba, whichclaimedatleast61civilianlives.Multiplesourcesindicatedthaton12August,alargenumber ofabductionstargetingtheSunniArabcommunitytookplaceinBaqubadistrict.Onthesameday, 17-19bodieswerereportedlyrecoveredfromtheDiyalaRiver.Localsourcesestimatedthatatleast 50peoplehavedisappeared. In Baghdad, on 25 May, four civilians were abducted by gunmen dressed in military uniforms at a checkpointnearthemilitaryacademy,inCanalStreet,easternBaghdad.AlsoinBaghdad,theActing Deputy Justice Minister, was abducted by black-clad gunmen on 9 September, in the Bunuk area, northeastern Baghdad. A senior official of the Ministry of Justice and four security guards were reportedlyalsoabducted.Allwereeventuallyreleased.Theperpetratorsremainedunknownatthe timeofreporting. 28 Bombingsofciviliansandcivilianinfrastructureandproperty Terrorist attacks directly targeting civilians or conducted irrespective of their presence took place across Iraq, impacting people of all ethnic and religious communities. Shopping strips, places of worship,hotelparkinglots,marketsandpublicswimmingpoolswereamongplacestargeted.Where perpetrated by parties to the conflict, such targeted or indiscriminate attacks may amount to war crimesorcrimesagainsthumanity. Improvisedexplosivedevices A large number of IED-related civilian casualties were recorded in Baghdad, where such incidents occurredonadailybasis.Examplesincludeanattackon2May,usingaVBIEDnearacrowdedicecream shop in Karrada, central Baghdad, which killed 12 civilians and wounded more than 40, includingtwopolicemen.On5May,anattackusingaVBIEDnearal-KhudhairiSunnimosqueandthe headquarters of PMU Kata'ib Imam Ali, in Arasat area, central Baghdad, killed two civilians and woundedsix.On12May,anindividualwearingavestofexplosivestargetedShi'apilgrimsincentral Baghdad,killingeightciviliansandwounding22.Onthenightof28May,anattackwascarriedout using a VBIED in the parking lot of the Babylon Warwick Hotel in Karrada, central Baghdad, killing eightciviliansandwounding15.Afewminuteslater,aVBIEDwasdetonatedintheparkinglotofthe CristalGrandIshtarHotel,centralBaghdad,killingfourciviliansandwoundingatleastsix. On7July,anIEDattackinArabJbour,southernBaghdad,killedfiveIraqiPoliceofficers,whileon5 AugusttwoattacksemployingVBIEDsoccurredindifferentpartofSadrCity,easternBaghdad,killing at least eight civilians and wounding at least 20. On 21 July, two attacks occurred in eastern Baghdad,oneusingaVBIEDthatkilledsevenciviliansandwoundedthree,andanothercarriedout byanindividualwearinganexplosivevest,thatkilled22civiliansandwounded32. AttacksusingIEDsalsooccurredinotherpartsofIraq,killingnumerousciviliansandinjuringmore. InDiyala,on6June,anattackbyanindividualdrivingavehicleladenwithexplosivesatasecurity checkpoint,attheentrancetoBaladruz,nearalocalmarket,killedatleast11civiliansandISFand wounded at least 14. On 16 June, an IED was detonated while a minibus carrying female middle school students was passing in Abu-Saida sub-district, northeast of Baquba. The driver and four students were killed and six students were wounded in the incident. On 23 June, an attack by an individualwearinganexplosivevesttargetedagatheringofmembersoftheal-NadawiSunnitribe, in Haitham Aliwy village, Baladruz area, killing 14 of them and wounding 30. Some local media reports indicated that the attack also involved the use of a VBIED but sources contacted by UNAMI/OHCHRwerenotabletoconfirmthis. In Salah al-Din, on 25 July, a complex attack targeted a public swimming pool in Tuz Khurmatu district,killingeightcivilians,includingonechild,andwounding54,includingatleastfivechildren, many of them seriously. The attacker first detonated a VBIED from a distance and once people gatheredatthescenetoattendtothecasualties,approachedthecrowdanddetonatedanexplosive belt. On 22 October, an attack by an individual driving a vehicle laden with explosives near Shuhada'a mosque, in the Askari area of Tuz Khurmatu district, targeted a gathering of civilians commemorating Ashura, killing two (one Sunni Kurd and one Sunni Arab) and wounding 24 (Shi'a and Sunni Turkmen, Shi'a and Sunni Arabs, and Sunni Kurds). ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, also identifying the suicide attacker. On 23 October, security forces reportedly found the bodies of two males with gunshot wounds, later determined to be PMU members,reportedlykilledbymistakeduringgunfirethatoccurredaftertheincident. Shelling UnattributedshellingbetweenISFandarmedgroupswasanothercauseofciviliancasualties. 29 InBaghdad,on12May,shellingfromunidentifiedactorskilledtwociviliansandwoundedeightin Bob al-Sham, southwestern Baghdad. On 15 May, shelling killed one civilian and wounded five in Arab Jbour, southern Baghdad. On 30 May, shelling reportedly hit a village in the Doura areas, southernBaghdad,killingacivilianandwoundingthree.On16June,shellingreportedlyhitTajiarea, northernBaghdad,killingacivilianandwoundingthree.Reportswerealsoreceivedthaton19June, shellingkilledacivilianandwoundedseveninSabeaal-Boor,northernBaghdad. On16August,InSalahal-Din,shellinghittheAlbuTu'maareasouthofBaiji,woundingfourcivilians. On 21 September, shelling reportedly hit two different areas inside al-Alam sub-district, east of Tikrit.Thefirstincidentkilledonecivilianandthesecondinjuredonecivilian. It was reported that on 14 May, shelling occurred on a residential area in central Ramadi, Anbar, killing one civilian and wounding two. UNAMI/OHCHR also received information from multiple sourcesthatshellingkilledfiveciviliansandwounded11intheKhaldiyaareaofAnbarbetween14 and16September. In Diyala, on 20 July, shelling reportedly struck near a playground in the Sunni Arab Hided community of Hibhib sub-district, in Khalis district, west of Baquba, killing eight and wounding 20 residents of the area, including two children. Also in Diyala, on 22 July, multiple mortars struck villages on the outskirts of Khan Bani Saad sub-district, reportedly causing a number of civilian casualties. Casualty numbers reported in the media ranged from zero to three persons killed, and betweensixand15wounded.OnesourcereportedtoUNAMI/OHCHRthat10personswerekilled and20wounded. Massgraves MassgraveshavebeendiscoveredinareasofgovernoratesreclaimedbyISFandassociatedforces fromISILcontrol,includinginNinewaandSalahal-DinGovernorates.Massgravesfromtheeraof Saddam Hussein were also found in Basra and Kirkuk Governorates. The Government of Iraq is attempting to conduct forensic and judicial investigations into select gravesites, despite gaps in forensiccapacity.Allpartiestoaconflicthaveanobligationtoaccountformissingpersonsandto providetheirfamilymemberswithanyinformationtheyhaveregardingtheirfate,aswellastomark thelocationofgraves. Inmostcases,basicinformationrelatingtogravesandbodiesisyettobeestablished.Thisincludes when the bodies were buried, the identity of bodies (including age, sex, ethnicity, religion, and combatantstatus)andthecircumstancesinwhichtheindividualsdiedorwerekilled.Theidentityof perpetratorsisinmanycasesunclear.Mostgravesarebelievedtocontainthebodiesofciviliansand members of ISF and associated forces killed and buried by ISIL and UNAMI/OHCHR continues to followuponthesereports. A mass grave was found by residents in western Ninewa towards the end of May. One report indicatedthattheremainsof60peoplewerefoundinagraveinBadoush,westofMosul,andtwo reports stated that a grave containing the remains of 80 people was found in al-Jadaa village, western Ninewa. UNAMI/OHCHR has not been able to clarify whether these reports refer to the samegrave.SomesourcesindicatedthatthegravemaycontainmembersoftheYezidicommunity. On 22 June, a mass grave was reportedly discovered in al-Eiadhia area, west of Mosul, reportedly containingupto70bodieswithidentificationdocuments.Theremainswerereportedlytransferred forforensicexamination.UNAMI/OHCHRcouldnotverifythisreport. It was reported that PMUs found two mass graves containing the bodies of Iraqi soldiers near Samarra,Salahal-Din,on30June.PMUsreportedthatthetwomassgravescontainedtheremains of Iraqi soldiers from Camp Speicher who were killed by ISIL in June 2014 in the west of Samarra, nearMuthanamilitarycompound,withinAnbarOperationsSector.Atthetimeofthediscoveryof 30 thegraves,itwasreportedthattherewasongoingcoordinationbetweentheLegalMedicalInstitute andMinistryofHumanRightstoopenthegravesandidentifytheremains.40 On 3 October, Kurdish Security Forces discovered a mass grave between Tobzawa and Yaichy villages, southwest of Kirkuk. Sources indicate that the grave held between 12 and 36 bodies and was believed to contain victims of the former regime. The Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal of the KurdistanRegionGovernmentassistedinexcavatingthegraveandhaverecoveredpiecesofmilitary uniformsandKurdish-stylecivilianclothing,reportedlybothfemaleandmale,aswellaschildren's clothing,intheareaaroundthegrave. AlocalgovernmentsourceinformedUNAMI/OHCHRthat,on28June,IraqiforensicteamsinBasra discovered a mass grave containing 377 corpses, including women and children, apparently killed during the 1991 Shi'a uprisings against Saddam Hussein in the east of Basra. The mass grave is reportedly the second largest mass grave found in southern Iraq. The first stage of exhuming the bodieshasbegun. Conclusionsandrecommendations Theimpactoftheongoingconflictandactsofterrorismonciviliansremainssevereandextensive. SinceJanuary2014,actsofviolencehavekilledorwoundedtensofthousandsofciviliansandhave displacedover3millionIraqis. Manydisplacedpersonsarelivinginunder-resourcedlocationsinpoorconditions,andaresubject to violence and abuse. Some have faced Government restrictions on their ability to access safe areas. Blanket restrictions have also been imposed within areas of displacement. Many IDPs have experienced threats, harassment and intimidation, including being rounded up in police raids and arbitrarily arrested by security forces on mere suspicion of terrorism or other seemingly spurious pretext. Those who have returned to their areas of origin, as territory is retaken from ISIL, are encounteringcontinuinginsecurity,large-scaledestructionofcivilianinfrastructure,severelylimited accesstobasicservices,booby-trapsandexplosiveremnantsofwar,andthreatsandintimidationat thehandsofGovernment-associatedmilitia. On 11 July, a new 23-minute video was released by ISIL containing images, including some previously releasedsequences,depictingtheJune2014fallofTikritCityandmassacreofcapturedpredominatelyShi'a ISF near Camp Speicher military base on 14 June. The video shows scenes from several now well-known locations in the area around the base and in Tikrit city, including within the Presidential Palaces complex. Severaloftheselocationshavebeenthefocusofongoingexhumationprocesses.Thenarrationofthevideo oftenreferstocapturedsoldiersas"cattle"ofthe"armyoftherejecters".Itcontainsseveralimagesofmen crowdedintothebackoflargetrucks,otherpreviouslyreleasedimagesshowmenincivilianclothingbeingled inasinglefile,bentover,withtheirarmsontheshouldersofthemaninfrontortiedtogether.Severalscenes depictmentiedupandlyingontheground,sometimesinwhatappeartobepre-dugshallowgraves.Multiple shots show prisoners pleading for their lives. Several lengthy, graphic depictions of executions are shown, includingmultiplearmedmenshootingatlargegroupsofmenlyingontheground.Hundredsofmenincivilian clothing are shown lying in a field, dead, with their hands tied behind their backs. The video also shows previous widely viewed images of men in civilian clothing being held on a concrete ledge on the side of the TigrisRiver,shotandthenpushedintothewater.Imagesofmultiplebodiesfloatinginredwaterareshown. Attheendofthevideo,abulldozerisalsoshownatnightmovingpilesofbodies.Throughoutthevideomost perpetrators have their faces covered. At the time of reporting, links to the video had been removed from knownsites.Thevideo'sreleaseoccurredjustfourdayssubsequenttothesentencingof24mentodeathby the Iraqi Central Criminal Court in connection with the Speicher massacre. The trial lasted four hours and allegations have arisen that confessions put in evidence were obtained under duress. On 22 June the Iraqi MinistryofHumanRightsissuedastatementthat1,697weremissingfromtheeventssurroundingtheCamp Speicher massacre. On 2 June, the Ministry of Human Rights announced that forensic teams working in the areaofthePresidentialPalacesinTikrithadrecovered597bodiesinconnectionwiththemassacre. 40 31 UNAMI/OHCHRisextremelyconcernedbythesituationofciviliansinareasunderISILcontrol.ISIL continues to deliberately target ethnic and religious communities through a range of abuses and crimes as part of its policy of suppression, expulsion or elimination of those communities, and to employ sexual violence as a tactic of war. Of particular concern are the potentially thousands of Yezidi women and children (and those from some other ethnic and religious communities) who remaininISILcaptivity. Individuals associated with the Government of Iraq, including former candidates for public office, employees and former employees of IHEC and other institutions, and those suspected of passing information to Government and associated forces, were frequently targeted by ISIL. This was especiallyprevalentinNinewagovernorate. ISILcontinuestopunishandkillindividualswhorefusetoabidebyitscodeofbehaviourorwhomit perceives are opposed to its ideology. Journalists and homosexuals were targeted for killing; journalistswereshot,thoseaccusedofbeinghomosexualwerethrownfromthetopsofbuildings. ManycasesinvolvedkillingsfollowinghearingsbyISILself-appointedcourts. ISIL continues to deliberately target civilians and civilian infrastructure in its campaign of violence and terrorism and employed tactics, such as IEDs and possibly other methods, which were used indiscriminatelyordirectlytargetingcivilians. ISILhasalsokilledmembersofitsowngroupwhohaverefusedtofightandcapturedmembersof Governmentandassociatedforces. These acts constitute violations of Iraqi and international law, and may amount to war crimes, crimesagainsthumanity,andpossiblygenocide. ISFandassociatedforcescontinuetocarryoutmilitaryoperations,includingairstrikes,thatattimes may have violated the principles of distinction and proportionality, or may have been carried out irrespectiveoftheobligationtotakeallfeasibleprecautionstoprotectciviliansfromtheeffectsof attacks. The extent of the Government's command and control over associated forces remains unclear. Some associated forces have reportedly conducted attacks and reprisals against civilians fromcommunitiesperceivedtosupportISIL. Iraqiciviliansalsocontinuetobekilledandwounded,andinfrastructuredamagedanddestroyed,in actsofviolenceandterrorismperpetratedbyunidentifiedperpetrators. Asamatterofurgency,UNAMI/OHCHRrecommendsthefollowing: Toallpartiestotheconflict: 1. Allpartiestotheongoingnon-internationalarmedconflictmuststrictlycomplywithapplicable international humanitarian law and respect international human rights law. They must take all feasible precautions to protect civilians from the effects of hostilities, and take all necessary measures to respect, protect and meet the basic needs of the civilian population, in particular womenandchildren. 2. Allactsofviolenceorabusecommittedagainstciviliansinviolationofapplicableinternational humanitarianlawandhumanrightslawmustceaseimmediately. 3. All parties to the armed conflict and other relevant actors must refrain from, and take the necessary measures to prevent and respond to, the displacement of the civilian population, includingbyallowingsafepassageandprovidingsafetyguaranteesforhumanitarianactorstoreach displacedpopulationsandpopulationsaffectedbytheconflict,andtoensuredurablesolutionsfor alldisplacedpopulations. 32 4. Allpartiesmustensurethatciviliansareprotected,thattheyhaveunhinderedaccesstomedical facilities and humanitarian assistance, and that they are able to leave areas affected by violence safelyandwithdignity. 5. Allpartiesmustagreetoandfacilitatereliefoperationsthatarehumanitarianandimpartialin character, and to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of relief consignments, equipmentandpersonnel.Theyshouldalsorespectandprotecthumanitarianworkersandfacilities. TotheGovernmentofIraq: 1. Ensure that all associated armed forces fighting against ISIL are operating under the Government'scommandandcontrol,andensureaccountabilityfortheiractions. 2. Ensurethatallciviliansdisplacedfromtheirhomesareadmitted,withoutunduehindrance,to areasofsafetywheretheycanaccessbasichumanitarianservices. 3. ISF and associated forces must take steps to ensure full compliance with the principles of distinctionandproportionalityandtheobligationtotakeallfeasibleprecautionstoprotectcivilians whencarryingoutmilitaryoperations. 4. Ensurethatarrestsofindividualsinconnectionwiththeongoingconflictarecarriedoutonlegal grounds only and supported by credible and sufficient evidence, and that all due process rights guaranteedbytheConstitutionofIraqandinternationallawarefullyrespected. 5. Ensure that, as soon as practicably possible after liberation of areas from ISIL control, responsibilityforlawandorderisrestoredtociviliancontrol,andthatmeasuresaretakentoensure the human rights and basic humanitarian needs of civilians residing in those areas or voluntarily returningaremet. 6. Ensure that survivors of human rights violations, particularly of sexual and gender-based violence,receiveadequatesupport,includingpsycho-socialsupportandmedicalcare. 7. Ensure the protection of mass graves, along with appropriate care and measures to excavate such sites and exhume and identify the mortal remains, and to preserve evidence of crimes committed;includinganythatmayleadtotheidentificationofperpetrators.Conductindependent, public coronial inquiries into each mass grave, to identify the victims, collect evidence of wrongdoing, and fully investigate and determine the circumstances that led to the deaths of the individualsconcerned;ensurethatfamilymembersofvictimsandmissingpersonsareprovidedwith allavailableinformationandadequateandtimelyfinancial,materialandotherassistance. 8. Investigate effectively, promptly, thoroughly, and impartially any allegations of violations or abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law and, whereappropriate,prosecutethosewhoareresponsibleforsuchacts.Ensurethatthefindingsof suchinvestigationsaremadepublic. 9. Ensure the rights of all victims or their relatives to an effective remedy, including the right to equal and effective access to justice and adequate, effective, and prompt reparation for the harm suffered. 10. Introduce amendments to the Iraqi Criminal Law to grant domestic courts jurisdiction over internationalcrimescommittedinIraq. 33 11. AccedetotheRomeStatuteoftheInternationalCriminalCourt.Asanimmediatestep,accept the exercise of the Court's jurisdiction with respect to the specific situation faced by the country, pursuanttoArticle12(3)oftheRomeStatute. Totheinternationalcommunity: 12. The international community, including the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council, should continue to closely follow the situation in Iraq with a view to ensuring that perpetrators of gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarianlawareheldaccountable. 13. Theinternationalcommunityshouldprovideallmaterialandothersupportnecessarytoassist the Government of Iraq address the security and humanitarian needs of persons displaced by the ongoing armed conflict and those returning to their homes in full compliance with humanitarian principles. 14. Provide the Government of Iraq with all necessary assistance in its identification, excavation, andinvestigationofmassgraves. 34 Annex1:Glossary AAH BBIED CCCI IED IDP IHEC IOM ISF ISIL KR-I OCHA OHCHR PKK PMU SVBIED UN UNAMI UNHCR VBIED YPG Asa'ibAhlal-Haqmilitia Body-borneimprovisedexplosivedevice CentralCriminalCourtofIraq Improvisedexplosivedevice Internallydisplacedperson IndependentHighElectoralCommission InternationalOrganizationforMigration IraqiSecurityForces IslamicStateinIraqandtheLevant KurdistanRegionofIraq OfficefortheCoordinationofHumanitarianAffairs OfficeoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRights PartiyaKarkerenKurdistane/KurdishWorkers'Party PopularMobilizationUnits Suicidevehicle-borneimprovisedexplosivedevice UnitedNations UnitedNationsAssistanceMissionforIraq UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees Vehicle-borneimprovisedexplosivedevice YekîneyênParastinaGel 35 Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq: 1 May ­31 October 2015 UNAMI/OHCHR Baghdad, Iraq www.uniraq.org/www.ohchr.org 36