Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty

Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty
A human rights group claimed documented cases of ‘torture and ill-treatment’ among Iraqis who returned home from Syria to Al-Jadaa camp in northern Iraq. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 29 October 2024
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Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty

Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty
  • Iraq and the United Nations had agreed to repatriate tens of thousands of Iraqis from Syria’s Al-Hol camp
  • Iraq is one of the few countries to regularly repatriate its nationals from Al-Hol

BAGHDAD: Amnesty International on Tuesday alleged cases of “torture and ill-treatment” among Iraqis who returned home from Syria to a rehabilitation center for people suspected of Daesh group ties.
The London-based human rights group said it documented cases involving seven men and one woman, detained over the past two years at the Al-Jadaa camp in northern Iraq.
“Seven of them faced torture and ill-treatment,” Amnesty said, describing beatings, electric shocks and suffocation by plastic bags.
Family members observed signs of torture, including broken fingers and dislocated shoulders, the group said in a statement.
“The torture and other ill-treatment suffered by those arrested... is horrifying. It must be stopped and investigated immediately,” said Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard.
Iraq and the United Nations had agreed to repatriate tens of thousands of Iraqis from Syria’s Al-Hol camp, but Callamard called it “unconscionable” that those returning from war and detention face further horrors.”
Amnesty said it spoke with detainees, their families and 16 UN staff members during interviews conducted between July and September.
Of the eight cases, seven detainees described torture by Iraqi security forces. Six are now serving lengthy sentences based on forced confessions, it said.
One detainee, identified by the pseudonym Saleem, described his experience.
“They beat me, and... handcuffed my hands behind my back. They hit the soles of my feet with a green water pipe... I was just saying ‘no’, again and again,” he was quoted as saying by Amnesty.
“During the torture, they said they wanted me to confess to things I didn’t do. I didn’t confess, and so I didn’t walk for four days.”
Amnesty urged Iraqi authorities to “immediately end the use of torture and other ill-treatment and the enforced disappearance of those arrested” at Al-Jadaa.
The non-governmental organization said it had requested but was denied access to interview detainees in July due to “security concerns.”
On October 2, Amnesty said it wrote to Iraq’s prime minister with its findings but has not received a response.
Iraq is one of the few countries to regularly repatriate its nationals from Al-Hol, a policy welcomed by the United Nations and the United States.
Since 2021, Iraqi forces have arrested about 80 people in the camp on charges of affiliation with the Daesh group, Amnesty said.
While some arrests may be “legitimate,” Amnesty noted accusations have occasionally stemmed from personal quarrels or a relative with ties to Daesh.
As of September, Al-Jadaa held 2,223 people, including 1,318 children, 627 women and 278 men, the rights group said.


Syrian and Russian air forces strike Aleppo’s eastern countryside, government says

Syrian and Russian air forces strike Aleppo’s eastern countryside, government says
Updated 27 sec ago
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Syrian and Russian air forces strike Aleppo’s eastern countryside, government says

Syrian and Russian air forces strike Aleppo’s eastern countryside, government says

CAIRO: Syrian and Russian air forces were striking militant-held positions in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, killing and wounding dozens of insurgents, according to a statement from the Syrian Prime Minister’s office on Monday.


Lebanon army says Israeli drone hits post in east, wounding soldier

Lebanon army says Israeli drone hits post in east, wounding soldier
Updated 12 min 18 sec ago
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Lebanon army says Israeli drone hits post in east, wounding soldier

Lebanon army says Israeli drone hits post in east, wounding soldier

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army said an Israeli drone strike wounded one of its soldiers in the eastern region of Hermel on Monday, the latest such raid since an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire last week.
“An enemy drone struck an army bulldozer at a position, injuring one soldier,” the army said, five days after a ceasefire ended more than a year of war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group.


Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army

Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army
Updated 02 December 2024
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Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army

Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army

AMMAN: Iranian-backed militias entered Syria overnight from Iraq and were heading to northern Syria to beef up beleaguered Syrian army forces battling insurgents, according to two Syrian army sources.
Dozens of Iran-aligned Iraqi Hashd al Shaabi fighters from Iraq also crossed into Syria through a military route near Al Bukamal crossing, a senior Syrian army source told Reuters.
“These are fresh reinforcements being sent to aid our comrades on the front lines in the north,” the officer said, adding the militias included Iraq’s Katiab Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun groups.
Iran sent thousands of Shiite militias to Syria during the Syrian war and, alongside Russia with its air power, enabled Syrian President Bashar Assad to crush the insurgency and regain most of his territory.
A lack of that manpower to help thwart the rebel onslaught in recent days contributed to the speedy retreat of Syrian army forces and withdrawal from Aleppo city, according to two other army sources. Militias allied to Iran, led by Hezbollah, have a strong presence in the Aleppo area.
Israel has also in recent months stepped up its strikes on Iranian bases in Syria while also waging an offensive in Lebanon which it says has weakened Hezbollah and its military capabilities.


GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories

GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
Updated 02 December 2024
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GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories

GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
  • The leaders stressed their firm support for the Palestinian cause and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital
  • The ‘Kuwait Declaration,’ issued at the 45th session of the GCC Supreme Council, praised the growing role of Gulf countries in addressing regional, global challenges

RIYADH: Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday called for an end to Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the displacement of the region’s population, and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The leaders stressed their firm support during a meeting in Kuwait for the Palestinian cause and its sovereignty over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The “Kuwait Declaration,” which was issued at the 45th session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, praised the growing role of Gulf countries in addressing regional and global political, security, and economic challenges.

It also praised their contribution to resolving issues that threatened peace, security, and stability, and for enhancing international dialogue and communication between countries.

A statement said: “The Supreme Council called for an end to the killings and collective punishment in Gaza, the displacement of the population, and the destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, and places of worship, in clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”

GCC leaders also welcomed the resolutions of the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in November to enhance international action to stop the war on Gaza; achieve permanent and comprehensive peace; implement the two-state solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative; mobilize support for recognizing the State of Palestine; and lead the international coalition to implement the two-state solution.

They also praised Qatar’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and exchange detainees.

The leaders condemned continued Israeli aggression on Lebanon and warned against the expansion of the conflict in the region. They also welcomed the recently brokered ceasefire in the country.

The leaders also welcomed continued efforts made by Saudi Arabia and Oman to revive the political process in Yemen.

The leaders stressed the peaceful approach of GCC countries and their preference for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all disputes in the region and beyond, in accordance with the requirements of international law and the UN Charter.


US Navy destroys Houthi missiles and drones targeting American ships in Gulf of Aden

US Navy destroys Houthi missiles and drones targeting American ships in Gulf of Aden
Updated 02 December 2024
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US Navy destroys Houthi missiles and drones targeting American ships in Gulf of Aden

US Navy destroys Houthi missiles and drones targeting American ships in Gulf of Aden
  • The Houthis claimed the attack on merchant ships in a statement and said they had targeted the US destroyers

DUBAI: US Navy destroyers shot down seven missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi militants at the warships and three American merchant vessels they were escorting through the Gulf of Aden. No damage or injuries were reported.
US Central Command said late Sunday that the destroyers USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane shot down and destroyed three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three drones and one anti-ship cruise missile. The merchant ships were not identified.
The Houthis claimed the attack in a statement and said they had targeted the US destroyers and “three supply ships belonging to the American army in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
Houthi attacks for months have targeted shipping through a waterway where $1 trillion in goods pass annually over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon. A ceasefire was announced in the latter last week.
The USS Stockdale was involved in a similar attack on Nov. 12.