GICJ Oral Statement with the International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Delivered by Emily Bare / GICJ

On the 20th of September, Emily Bare delivered an oral statement on behalf of Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ), welcoming the report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

She highlighted that the report reveals Iraq as having the highest number of outstanding documented cases of enforced disappearance, standing at 16,427 victims. However, according to GICJ’s research and contacts in Iraq, the true number of victims is drastically higher than what was reported - being between 500,000 and 1,000,000 persons. Evidence over the past five years shows that militias have been burying bodies in mass graves. Emily condemned the fact that despite the seriousness of this situation, the Working Group’s report failed to identify Iraq as a particular area of concern. 

EAFORD and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) strongly urge the Human Rights Council to support the mission of the Working Group in investigating these rampant enforced disappearances in Iraq. 

HRC51, Human Rights Council, Enforced Disappearances, Human Rights Violations, Working Group, Iraq, Justice, Human Rights, Geneva, Geneva4justice, GICJ, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Geneva International Centre for Justice.