The United Nations team to investigate accountability for ISIS crimes (UNITAD) praised Iraq’s efforts to support Portugal in issuing the first historic conviction against a member of the terrorist organization for committing international crimes in Iraq. The United Nations OCHA website stated in a report: The investigation team described what happened in Portugal as an important step towards achieving justice. He was a member of ISIS called (A.A), an Iraqi citizen who had fled to Europe, and was accused of committing war crimes in the Iraqi city of Mosul. The statement indicated that this person kidnapped and flogged an Iraqi citizen, and was also convicted, along with his brother (Y.A.), of belonging to a terrorist organization. The report quoted the Special Counsel, head of the investigation team, Christian Richter, with this ruling, which he said represented “the first conviction in Portugal.”My charges of committing a war crime, and it constitutes a significant relationship on the path paved by the unique partnership between the investigation team (UNITAD) and Iraq,” explaining that “the Iraqi judiciary and the UNITAD team worked to provide important support for accountability processes in third countries that have competent judicial authorities with the aim of Prosecuting international crimes committed by ISIS in Iraq.” The report explained that in 2020, the UNITAD team received a request for assistance from the Public Prosecutor in Portugal, and for this reason the team led an investigation in close cooperation with Judge Raed Al-Musleh, who heads the Nineveh Federal Court of Appeal, a cooperation that resulted in the identification of 13 victims and witnesses, while the team worked “Unitad” facilitated the possibility of giving his testimony remotely during their presence in Dohuk, via video conferencing technology during the periodPre-trial, in front of the Portuguese judge, prosecutor and defense lawyer. In addition, the reformist judge facilitated witnesses’ testimony during the trial remotely, during his trial in Mosul, which is the first time that the Iraqi judiciary has made arrangements to facilitate witness testimony remotely via video conference. The report quoted Richer as saying, “We are very proud of our joint pursuit of this case with the honorable Judge Raed Al-Musleh, which led to this historic conviction, and it reflects the purposeful work that the investigation team (Unitad) is doing with the Iraqi judiciary as a partner that supports evidence-based justice processes in Iraq.” And all over the world.” He stated, “This work was achieved thanks to the national support of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Dr. Faiq Zaidan,” adding that “The team worked with specialized Iraqi judges to ensure that evidence of ISIS crimes was protected in accordance with the highest international standards.” He pointed out that “the diligent work with the Iraqi judiciary to build joint case files against ISIS members represents an important step forward on the path to achieving accountability, justice, and strengthening judicial prosecutions in all parts of the world.” The report was considered; This conviction in Portugal constitutes “the latest in a growing list of convictions in third countries resulting from the UNITAD team’s support for trials through cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary,” explaining that “this team provided support for 17 investigation files in third countries, which led to directing regulations.” accusation, while 15 of these referrals resulted in the conviction of ISIS members.”The report mentioned the decision of the Frankfurt Court in Germany in 2021, the first conviction of an ISIS member for committing genocide crimes against the Yazidis, after a trial that lasted 19 months. The report also mentioned that a Swedish court convicted an ISIS affiliate in 2022 for failing to protect her child from recruitment into the ranks of the terrorist organization. The report also recalled the decision of the German Koblenz court in June 2023 against a German citizen on charges of aiding and abetting the commission of the crime of genocide, against humanity, and war crimes for detaining a Yazidi woman. The report quoted Richer as saying that the UNITAD team will make every effort to ensure that the fruitful partnership with the Iraqi judiciary achieves the desired results through successful trials that lead to convictions on charges of committing international crimes, adding that the goal is a common goal.To the United Nations, Iraq, and third countries, in addition to thousands of Iraqi victims and survivors.
