In 2024, Iraq significantly escalated unlawful executions, conducting killings without legal representation or family notification. Human Rights Watch reported rampant torture and due process violations, with about 8,000 on death row. Recent executions followed troubling patterns of ‘secret executions’ and documented mistreatment, prompting calls for urgent reform and a moratorium on the death penalty. Activists warn Iraq is on a path to becoming a leader in unlawful executions.
In 2024, Iraq witnessed a grim escalation in state-sanctioned executions, with the government conducting unlawful killings devoid of due process, legal representation, or family notification. Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented alarming cases, noting that about 8,000 individuals linger on death row amid rampant allegations of torture and arbitrary trials. Recent executions at Nasiriyah Central Prison, including the mass execution of 13 men on December 25, 2023, have drawn sharp condemnation, with many human rights advocates likening these acts to orchestrated state violence.
Despite pleas for transparency, the Iraqi government remains reticent, refusing to disclose execution statistics or respond to inquiries about prison conditions. A record number of executions—50 in September alone—prompted independent monitors to raise alarms over a surge in “secret executions.” Activists, lawyers, and families of inmates report harassment and intimidation for voicing concerns about executions and safety conditions in prisons, painting a picture of a justice system marred by fear and repression.
Victims of torture, including those with documented injuries from mistreatment, face execution under dubious circumstances, often without providing their families any advance notice regarding their fates. Families receiving death certificates, stating “execution by hanging,” express skepticism when they note the absence of any marks on the bodies. The pattern of disturbing discrepancies raises questions about the actual methods used—an unsettling veil cloaking an already shadowy practice.
Human Rights Watch’s study unearthed testimonies from families and legal representatives of executed men who were denied their day in court amid cries for justice. Prisoners expressing fear over retaliation for communicating with the outside world illustrate the grim reality within the walls of Iraq’s prisons, where even whispers of dissent can lead to swift and violent consequences.
The absence of oversight and the vague implementation of Iraq’s counterterrorism laws have led to arbitrary deprivation of life, a violation of both national and international law. UN experts highlight appalling prison conditions, including severe overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, and solitary confinement practices that violate human dignity. Calls for President Abdul Latif Rashid to cease the approval of death sentences echo within the human rights community, invoking a sense of urgency to establish a moratorium and advance towards abolishment of the death penalty altogether.
The alarming trend of unlawful executions in Iraq stems from a judicial system plagued by systemic failures, including severe human rights violations and a lack of fair trial assurances. Reports from various human rights organizations reveal a persistent pattern of torture and coercive confessions, fueling concerns that Iraq’s legal framework is being manipulated to sustain a cycle of violence rather than ensure justice. In a climate of fear, meticulous oversight and accountability measures are conspicuously absent, exacerbating the plight of detainees and highlighting the critical need for legal reform and adherence to human rights standards. The situation has escalated, particularly since late 2023, with governmental denials of secret executions juxtaposed against harrowing accounts from families and watchdogs, suggesting a disturbing lack of transparency and a propensity for extrajudicial actions by the state. The urgency for reform is compounded by the rising number of individuals on death row and the daily struggles faced by those seeking justice in a deeply flawed system. Human Rights Watch is at the forefront of these concerns, documenting wrongful executions, inadequate legal representation, and dire prison conditions, emphasizing the need for meaningful reform and an end to the death penalty as part of a broader commitment to human rights in Iraq.
Iraq is at a critical juncture, with its government facing mounting pressure from human rights advocates to end the dark practice of unlawful executions. The lack of due process and rampant torture allegations illustrate a judicial system in disarray. Unless the Iraqi leadership, particularly President Abdul Latif Rashid, takes decisive action to halt executions and reform the legal framework, the nation risks condemnation and isolation on the global stage, leaving behind a legacy stained by human rights violations and judicial failures. Without significant reform, Iraq’s Justice may well become synonymous with cruelty and impunity.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
