Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq & the Levant - Security Council | United Nations

Security Council Briefing by Christian Ritscher, Special Adviser to head the Investigative Team to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da'esh) accountable for acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Iraq, on Promotion of the Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. UN senior official Christian Ritscher said, “one of our key goals is to support Iraq in playing a leading role in holding ISIL members accountable for international crimes,” adding that “UNITAD is committed to building capacities of the judiciary in Iraq to work towards fair and just trials in accordance with applicable standards of the United Nations.” Special Adviser and the head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD), Christian Ritscher today (05 Dec) delivered the ninth report of his office. Over the last reporting period, his team continued to advance its investigations into international crimes committed by ISIL against all communities of Iraq. Ritscher highlighted some examples of the progress made. He said that a key outcome has been the completion of the case assessment focused on crimes committed against the Christian community in Iraq. Evidence collected and analysis conducted thus far substantiate preliminary findings from his last report that ISIL commissioned acts such as seizing of properties, looting and destruction of churches, the commission of sexual violence against, and enslavement and forcible religious conversions of members of the Christian community. He said, “these acts constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes, including but not limited to forcible transfer, persecution, pillage, sexual violence and slavery, and other inhumane acts, such as forced conversion as well as intentional destruction of cultural heritage and religious sides protected under international humanitarian law.” The Special Adviser continued, “in this respect, the team identified a number of ISIL leaders and members originating from areas nearby but also from foreign countries that considerably participated in these attacks.” He also said that his team‘s investigations into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL have “notably progressed.” Ritscher explained, “evidence collected continues to support that ISIL manufactured and produced chemical rockets and mortars, ammunition, warheads and improvised explosive devices, in addition to the development, testing, weaponization and deployment of a range of chemical agents highlighted in my last report.” He also said, “so far, the evidence obtained shows that religious and cultural sites were either intentionally destroyed by ISIL, or taken over and occupied, sometimes for military purposes. This resulted in severe damage or destruction to these sites. While the motives and methods adopted by the perpetrators are still being reviewed and analyzed, it appears that explosives and heavy equipment were used to destroy many of those heritage sites.” Ninth report of the Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant: https://undocs.org/en/S/2022/836


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