Promoting accountability throughout the world
Overview
While UNITAD’s mandate supports domestic efforts in Iraq, it also promotes accountability for ISIL crimes throughout the world and supporting prosecutions in third States with competent jurisdictions.
UNITAD has engaged in promoting accountability throughout the world by:
- Disrupting jurisdictional safe havens through supporting prosecutions of ISIL perpetrators in third States;
- Participating in numerous international conferences, workshops and meetings related to accountability efforts; and
- Organizing special events in partnership with Iraqi embassies abroad to present the work done to advance accountability for core international crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL.
Support to prosecutions in third States
In line with its mandate, UNITAD has provided support to third State jurisdictions prosecuting Da’esh/ISIL perpetrators for their international crimes in Iraq.
To date, the Team has supported requests for assistance from 20 third States with competent jurisdictions to prosecute ISIL international crimes in Iraq. This demand for third States support has grown exponentially over the past years.
So far, the Team has supported 17 cases in third State jurisdictions that were under investigation and led to indictments. 15 of these cases ended up in convictions of ISIL members or affiliates.
Examples on these convictions include:
- The first conviction of ISIL member for committing genocide against the Yazidis, issued by the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt, Germany in 2021.
- Conviction by the Swedish district court in 2022 of an ISIL female member.
- The German Higher Regional Court of Koblenz conviction of an ISIL female member.
- Portugal’s conviction of an ISIL member, after being charged for international crimes committed in Iraq.
Organizing Special Events aimed at promoting accountability for ISIL crimes globally
In partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and working closely with Iraqi Embassies abroad, UNITAD organized a series of joint special events, to highlight the role of Iraq, in particular, the work of the Iraqi judiciary, in promoting accountability for ISIL crimes. The events also helped shed light on the unique cooperation between UNITAD and Iraq.
- Special Event: ISIL’s Use of Chemical Weapons: Global Threat, an event co-hosted with the Permanent Missions of Iraq and India to the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York in June 2023. It presented investigative updates on the Team’s findings, and expert presentations pertaining to ISIL’s development and deployment of Chemical Weapons, especially in relation to the attacks on Taza Khurmatu in March 2016.
- Special Event: The Pattern of Mass Killing: Da’esh/ISIL crimes against Tikrit Air Academy Personnel. Co-organized by UNITAD and the Permanent missions of Iraq and Finland to the United Nations at UNHQ, in June 2022, the event commemorated the eighth anniversary of the massacre and one of the most heinous crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL in Iraq and outlined key findings in the investigations into the Massacre. It also launched a specialized video on the investigation of the crimes.
- Special Event: Command Responsibility, Identifying Leaders and the Role of Da’esh/ISIL Foreign Fighters, an event organized in November 2022 by UNITAD, co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the League of Arab States, and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, to shed light on the role of foreign fighters and show how leadership cases for senior ISIL leaders and middle leaders can be built.
- Special event on Investigating Financial Dimensions of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Genocide, April 2022. Co-hosted by UNITAD, Embassy of Iraq to Germany and the German Federal Foreign Office, the event discussed initial lines of inquiry across ISIL/Da’esh’s various revenue streams, with a focus on ISIL/Da’esh’s central treasury (Bayt Al Mal) bringing together a range of German officials, international experts and the competent Iraqi investigative judge who presented his work and engaged in a lively discussion with all participants.
- Special Event: Ensuring Global Accountability for ISIL Financing. Held in December 2021 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, UNITAD and the Governments of Iraq and Germany hosted a discussion amongst Member States and international experts addressing how those who profited from ISIL crimes in Iraq, including acts that may constitute international crimes, can be held accountable.
The event pointed to the need for accountability in this area to solidify the prevention and deterrence of future Da’esh/ISIL activities.
- Special Event: Security Council Arria Formula Meeting on Delivering accountability through innovation and partnership, focusing on how breakthrough approaches to the use of technology and innovations in the engagement of witnesses and survivors can enhance investigations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide globally.
