For immediate release Brussels-21 January 2013

For immediate release

Brussels-21 January 2013

ISJ Condemns Iraqi Government’s Suppression and Discrimination, Supports People’s Uprising, and Expresses Abhorrence vis-à-vis UN envoy Taking Government’s Side International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) expresses its deep concerns regarding the Iraqi government’s and Prime Minister al-Maliki’s suppressive actions, expresses its solidarity with the Iraqi people’s uprising that reached a new height on Friday January 18, and supports people’s demands. The government’s suppressive measures to prevent formation of demonstrations especially in Baghdad, Nineveh, and Diyala are cause for major concern.

We are terribly horrified by the number of executions in Iraq in 2012 which—according to the UN—is twice that of 2011, and 6-times that of 2010, and the torture and mistreatment of the political prisoners especially cases of death under torture and rape which have been confirmed by independent human rights organizations. On January 14, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Iraqi Parliament announced that he has reported cases of 34 prisoners who

have died in prison within a period of four months, to the United Nations.

In its January 17, 2013 resolution, the Iraqi Parliament expressed its concerns about the situation in Iraq, including the following:

• Implementation of Irbil agreement December 2010 on the formation of a national unity government" by the Iraqi Government which is contributing to the fragility and fragmentation of Iraq"

• "hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled the violence of which they continue to be the target, either leaving their country completely or being displaced within its borders

• the number of executions in Iraq is increasing; whereas serious concerns are being expressed by, among others, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, about the failure of trials leading to the death penalty to be consistent with international fair trial safeguards, where ‘confessions’ were obtained under torture or other forms of ill-treatment

On January 16, 2013, al-Maliki’s deputy admitted that about 6,500 prisoners were condemned for terrorism, about 6,000 were in prison without a trial accused of the same, and 15,800 prisoners were condemned for other reasons. There is a common belief that the real figures are much higher. Fighting against terrorism or the Ba’ath party and the elements of the previous

government, and the laws that are enforced under those pretexts, are only excuses for suppression and murder.

Although Iraq’s predominantly Sunni provinces are suffering from pressure, suppression, and widespread discrimination, but confirmed reports indicate that democratic Shiites, especially those who are against Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq, are harshly repressed. Presence of representatives of Shiite communities who travel from the southern provinces in order to express their solidarity with protesters in the western and northern provinces, clearly underlines this fact. Al-Maliki is also the source of tensions and crises with the Kurdish local government and the people of this part of Iraq too.

Al-Maliki’s government is the principle cause of sectarianism in Iraq and carries out the orders of the totalitarian regime ruling Iran. The United States’ silence towards his many broken promises are practically opening the way for absolute concentration of power in al-Maliki’s hands.

Supporting Bashar al-Assad and turning Iraq into a corridor for transferring Iranian regime’s assistance to Syrian government, and mistreatment of Ashraf residents who are asylum seekers

and protected persons under Fourth Geneva Convention, are examples of al Maliki’s actions. During several attacks and aggressions by Iraqi forces, 50 Ashraf residents were killed and 1,130 wounded. They were forcefully taken from their home of 26 years to a place that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions described as a prison. Their right to property is violated and the government of Iraq is trying to steal the product of 26 years of their work.

The illness of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, al-Maliki’s conspiracies against Talabani’s First Vice President Dr. Tariq al-Hashimi and sentencing him to death in absentia, pave the way for al-Maliki’s heightened totalitarian behavior and seizing all levers of power by him. Dr. al-Hashimi must take on the responsibilities of the President in order to make a peaceful process possible.

Resignation of the current government and formation of a provisional executive to hold early elections is a reasonable solution. Al-Maliki is not capable of holding free and fair elections.

Unfortunately under these circumstances, Mr. Kobler, the UN envoy in Iraq is completely on the side of al-Maliki. Before, we thought that he is not impartial in the issue of Ashraf, but the reality is far more regrettable than that.

• Martin Kobler said in voice with Nouri Maliki: “Some of the slogans chanted by

demonstrators are illegal and we call on them to not chant intense slogans.” (Al-Hurra TV, 13

Jan 2013)

• previously, Martin Kobler had, on 10 December 2012, approved Maliki’s remarks

denying any violation of human rights in Iraq’s prisons and the rape of female inmates and

called on Iraqi youths to not leave the country and to cooperate with the Iraqi Government.” (Iraqiya State TV, 10 December 2012)

• Dr. Ahmad al-Alwani, Chairman of the Iraqi Parliament Economic Commission said Martin Kobler is biased and has suspicious connections with regional countries and certain political parties, and he is not impartial. If he was professional and impartial, he should have met with the protesters, instead of making contact with specific political parties and expressing his opinion on the illegality of the demonstrators’ demands. (Al Baghdad TV, 14 Jan 2013)

• Dr. Salim al-Jabbouri, Chairman of Iraqi Parliament Human Rights Commission: the UN is present in Iraq and we have been presenting reports from a while ago related to the violation of human rights…. this issue brings us to believe that the UN is collaborating with the policies being implemented in Iraq. (Aljazeera TV, 14 January 2013)

• In their report, legal representatives of Ashraf residents who went to Iraq in January 2013, wrote "UNAMI has concluded that the future development of Iraq is dependent upon the survival of the current government of Nouri Al-Maliki. Shoring up Maliki, and protecting him from any potentially avoidable disruption, seem to UNAMI to be the only alternative to watching Iraq descend into civil war along ethnic (Arab/Kurd) and sectarian (Sunni/Shiite) lines.

Sadly, this pessimistic prediction of the future of the country may well be accurate. Contrary to UNAMI’s analysis, many observers consider Maliki to be the problem, not the solution".

ISJ calls on the EU’s High Representative, member states’ Foreign Ministers, and other Western countries to support the demands of Iraqi people unequivocally and not to allow creation of a new Syria by indifference toward the new Iraq’s dictator. It also calls on the UN Secretary General and the Security Council to appoint an impartial representative in Iraq to assist the democratic process there, not one that is on the side of the dictator.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras

Vice-President of the European Parliament

President, International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)

ISJ enjoys the support of over 4000 parliamentarians on both sides of the Atlantic.

International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)

President of ISJ : Dr Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-President of the European Parliament

European Parliament, ASP 11E205, 60 rue Wiertz, B-1047, Brussels, Belgium;

Email: isjcommittee@gmail.com

شبكة البصرة