ISIL Committed War Crimes at Mosul Prison, UN Investigation Finds

12/04/2021

The head of a United Nations team investigating ISIL's atrocities in Iraq has said the armed group's fighters committed crimes against humanity and war crimes at a prison in the northern city of Mosul, where at least 1,000 mostly Shi Muslim prisoners were systematically killed seven years ago. 

Christian Ritscher told the UN Security Council, "Prisoners captured were led to sites close to the prison, separated based on their religion and humiliated. At least 1,000 predominantly Shia prisoners were then systematically killed." Ritscher also said evidence collected relating to the Badush prison attacks underlined the detailed planning by ISIL in carrying out their atrocities. The group's approach "is seen even more clearly in two other key lines of investigations that have accelerated in the last six months: the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL, and the financial mechanisms through which it sustained its campaign of violence," he said. 

He stressed the importance of bringing ISIL's financiers and those who profit from the group's crimes to justice. 

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