KRG cooperation ‘central’ to evidence-collection mission on ISIS crimes: UNITAD

The Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) announced on Wednesday that it had submitted its fourth report to the UN Security Council.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) announced on Wednesday that it had submitted its fourth report to the UN Security Council.

The UNITAD letter was submitted to the Security Council on May 11, according to a statement the organization published on Wednesday that details its activities in collecting forensic evidence on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide the so-called Islamic State carried out in Iraq.

“Cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG], affected communities, and non-governmental organizations has also continued to be central to evidence—collection activities,” the report read, as it explained the team’s efforts with both the KRG and Iraqi government in acquiring a large amount of data in its field investigations.

UNITAD was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2379 in 2017 “to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da’esh) accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence in Iraq of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed by the terrorist group.”

“The Investigative Team has also continued to welcome the support and cooperation of relevant authorities of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” the report noted. “Positive engagement has continued with the intergovernmental task force established to facilitate cooperation between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Team.”

The Islamic State was territorially defeated in 2017 by the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces, the Iraqi Army, and air support from the Global Coalition.

The terror group’s rise in Iraq led to a great humanitarian crisis, especially among internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The Islamic State also engaged in crimes against humanity and carried out genocide against the Yezidi religious minority in the Sinjar (Shingal) area in 2014.

In March 2019, the Iraqi government, the KRG, and UNITAD marked the beginning of national efforts to unearth the first mass graves of Yezidi victims of the Islamic State.

So far, at least 12 of the 79 mass graves found have been unearthed as the organization works to identify ways to use the evidence it has gathered effectively.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany