Iraq: Charting a special path to build a justice system

INA - BAGHDAD

Minister of Justice, Khalid Shwani, stressed on Monday the necessity of holding accountable perpetrators of human rights violations in Gaza and Lebanon while pointing out that Iraq has charted a special path to build a transitional justice system.

Shwani attended a conference on promoting transitional justice in Iraq, which was held under the auspices of the High Commission for Human Rights in Iraq, in the presence of representatives of the three presidencies and heads of transitional justice bodies, according to a statement by the Ministry of Justice - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

He condemned "the gross violations of human rights and crimes committed against civilians in Gaza and Beirut, which led to the destruction of entire neighborhoods and the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, his companions and thousands of believers."

"Today, we can only take advantage of this conference to call for holding the perpetrators accountable, regardless of their position, and bringing them to justice for those crimes that were committed," he noted.

In terms of transitional justice in Iraq, he pointed out that "Iraq has charted a special path to build a transitional justice system and establish the features through numerous legislations, as well as the establishment of independent institutions and bodies to implement it. It is such as the Martyrs Foundation, the Political Prisoners Foundation, the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court, the National Accountability and Justice Commission, and the Property Disputes Commission, in addition to the central committees for political dismissals, in addition to the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal in the Kurdistan Region."

He said that "the High Commission for Human Rights in Iraq represents the independent institutional framework for managing the human rights file according to the Paris Principles, and it is a product of the transitional justice program, as its formation is consistent with the requirements of building Iraqi society based on respect for human rights standards."

"The Commission's achievement; a result of the efforts made by its employees; has placed it in the A classification. It is the highest global classification granted to effective and active institutions at the national, regional and international levels," he added.