Over 200 ISIL Mass Graves Discovered in Iraq - Briefing by Human Rights Office (Excerpts)

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said more than 200 mass graves have been uncovered in Iraq in areas formerly controlled by ISIL militants, in a cruel reminder of the terror group’s murderous legacy.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva today (06 Nov), OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said “more than 200 mass graves containing the remains of thousands of victims have been discovered in areas formerly controlled by ISIL in Iraq, according to a UN report that we have released today. The report highlights the legacy of ISIL’s relentless campaign of terror and violence and the victims’ continued calls for truth and justice.”
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Human Rights Office have documented the existence of 202 mass grave sites in the governorates of Ninewa, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Anbar in the northern and western parts of the country.
“While it is difficult to determine the total number of people in these graves, the smallest site, in west Mosul, contained eight bodies while the biggest is believed to be the Khasfa sinkhole south of Mosul which may contain thousands”, Shamdasani said.
These sites could potentially contain critical forensic material to assist in the identification of victims and to build an understanding of the scale of crimes that occurred.
“Meaningful truth and justice requires that these sites be appropriately preserved, excavated and exhumated and the identification of the remains of the many victims and their return to the families”, noted Shamdasani.
The report said ISIL seized large areas of Iraq between June 2014 and December 2017 and led a campaign of widespread violence and systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law – acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possible genocide.
Quoting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Shamdasani said, ISIL’s horrific crimes in Iraq have left the headlines, but the trauma of the victims’ families endures, with thousands of women, men and children still unaccounted for. These graves contain the remains of those mercilessly killed for not conforming to ISIL’s twisted ideology and rule, including ethnic and religious minorities. Truth, justice and reparations are critical to ensuring a full reckoning for the atrocities committed by ISIL.”
The report also documents how families of the missing face significant challenges in establishing the fate of their loved ones. At present, they must report to more than five separate State entities. OHCHR is urging the establishment of a public, centralised registry of missing persons as well as a federal Office of Missing Persons.
“We are also calling for a victim-centred approach and a transitional justice process that is established in consultation with, and accepted by, Iraqis, particularly those from the affected communities”, OHCHR’s Shamdasani emphasized.
The report calls also on the international community to provide resources and technical support to efforts related to the exhumation, collection, transportation, storage and return of human remains to families as well as their identification.