Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights International

For JusticeInfo - Fondation Hirondelle, our Head of Program for Rights and Justice Dr. Bojan Gavrilovic sheds light on underlying factors that may have contributed to the premature closure of the Investigative team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) in Iraq.

Despite UNITAD's successes in collecting evidence and establishing a survivor-centered criminal accountability mechanism, the mission ended in last September at the request of the Iraqi government, that only seven years earlier asked for such a body to help bring ISIS criminals to justice.

One of the greatest losses at least currently is the huge body of evidence collected, which will now basically be archived by the UN with no means to access it.

But it also deals a great blow to survivors and acquaintances of victims that put their trust in the system, provided crucial information, revisited traumatic events, hoped for justice, and will now see their efforts being buried deep in UN's basements.

It's therefore incumbent upon Iraq and the UN to come up with solutions that restores trust and makes the evidence accessible.

Navigating the accountability maze in post-UNITAD Iraq The blame game over UNITAD’s premature closure will not do anyone any good, says Bojan Gavrilovic, a human rights lawyer. Both Iraq and the UN should put the evidence that UNITAD has collected to their intended use by creating a survivor-centered criminal accountability mechanism in Iraq and an en...

Heute in der taz: Während Deutschland Abschiebungen jesidischer Geflüchteter und die lokalen Regierungen deren Rückkehr nach Sinjar forcieren, sind weder die Lebens- oder Sicherheitsbedingungen vorhanden, noch eine ausreichende Versorgung gewährleistet.
https://taz.de/!6024286/
Im Artikel berichtet u.a. unsere Kollegin Nada Salim aus Alqosh über die Verstetigung sowie Weitergabe von Traumata: „Je länger sie nicht behandelt werden, desto schwieriger ist es, sie zu bewältigen.“ Da Fördermittel rückläufig sind, ist diese Unterstützung jedoch zunehmend gefährdet.
Die Jiyan Foundation appelliert daher an die Bundesregierung, Abschiebungen von Jesiden in den Irak zu stoppen und sich gleichzeitig bei der irakischen Regierung für die konsequente Umsetzung des Yazidi Survivors Law einzusetzen.
https://de.jiyan.org/zehn-jahre-nach-dem-volkermord-an-den-jesidinnen-und-jesiden-deutschland-muss-ganzheitliche-unterstutzung-fordern/

Verfolgte Je­si­d*in­nen: Von der Welt vergessen Zehn Jahre nach dem Massaker von Sindschar sind Jesiden weiterhin in Gefahr. Während sie in Deutschland für einen Abschiebestopp kämpfen, bleibt die Lage in ihrer Heimat instabil.

We are pleased that Bojan Gavrilovic represented us in the release event of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate's new report "Towards Meaningful Accountability for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Linked to Terrorism," which was organised by
We regard the CTED study as extremely important for building links between terrorism and SGBV. It explores the opportunities different legal frameworks offer for investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating linked to .

Call to Action for the United Nations General Assembly during its 78th session from the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect - Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect As UN member states proceed through the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, member states will have an opportunity to renew and deepen their collective commitment to upholding the key pillars of the UN – human rights, peace and security, the rule of law and development – as well as to set a...

“Terminating UNITAD Iraq´s mandate in Iraq will have far-reaching negative consequences, as it will prevent putting the collected evidence of ISIL crimes against Yazidis, Shia, Sunni, Christian, Kaka’i, Shabak and Turkmen Shia and others to proper use. Clearly, every mandate comes to an end, but without a sound legislative framework and a clear roadmap on how to ensure delivery of justice in a survivor-centred manner and in line with international fair trial standards, the entire engagement would have been in vain.”

Dr. Bojan Gavrilovic
Head of Program for Rights and Justice
Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights

Concerns about the non-renewal of UNITAD’s mandate in Iraq We, the undersigned organizations, have been made aware of highly concerning news that the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL’s (UNITAD) mandate may not be renewed in Iraq beyond September 2024.