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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN HL2180, tabled on 20 October 2014

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Amnesty International's report Absolute Impunity: Militia Rule in Iraq and its account of retaliatory attacks against IS by Shi’a militias in Baghdad, Samarra and Kirkuk.

Answered on

28 October 2014

We have received reports from Amnesty International and others that Shia Militias have committed human rights abuses against Sunni Muslims in Iraq. The UK strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We welcome the commitments made by Prime Minister al-Abadi to reorganising the Iraqi Security Forces, integrating volunteer civilian fighters and dissolving militia groups. He has stressed the importance of bringing arms under State supervision in order to prevent abuses by armed civilians. The UK fully supports the Iraqi government in this as well as its efforts to uphold the rule of law and bring those responsible for all violations and abuses of human rights to justice.