Iraq, a country with declining human rights

Iraq 10:09 AM - 2023-03-27

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In its annual report on the state of human rights around the globe in 2022, the US State Department noted human rights violations in Iraq, highlighting how the country's human rights situation is steadily deteriorating and how court cases are being tampered with.
 

Human rights conditions differ from one region to another

"Yes, it is true that there is a restriction of freedoms and a degradation of human rights circumstances in some places in Iraq," Iraqi political expert Riyad Al-Waheli told PUKMEDIA.
 
"Some regions have different human rights situations than other regions, and Iraq has more freedoms and human rights than its neighbors," he continued.
 

The report's findings are accurate and supported by evidence

Srwd Muhammed Falih, head of the Kirkuk office of Al-Amal Association for Human Rights Advocacy, told PUKMEDIA that corruption and the judiciary's lack of independence are to blame for the ongoing decline in Iraq's human rights situation.
 
"The government must monitor its operations," she continued, "and those responsible for carrying out the law must be thoroughly conversant with its provisions."
 

People have been killed for expressing their opinion

There is no freedom of speech, according to Falih, who also notes that some people have been killed for speaking out against corruption or other wrongdoings.
 
She added: "Reports that show a decline in the state of human rights are supported by ample facts; they also discuss the circumstances in prisons and detention facilities. Numerous activists and journalists have received death threats or have already been murdered. We agree with the report's content, and the government needs to act on it in order to improve the state of human rights."
 

Grave deterioration in the condition of human rights

"There is a tremendous degradation in the human rights status in Iraq, and this deterioration is continuously ongoing," political observer Ahmed Al-Khidr confirmed to PUKMEDIA.
 
"This deterioration is caused by political interference in the investigations and judicial authorities," he continued, "and I believe that the level of human rights will remain low unless there are independent security, judicial, and investigative authorities, as well as for the security forces to carry out their true role and fundamental mission."
 

We must monitor reality and actual processes

Political observer Ahmed Al-Khidr added: "The executive authorities need to assess and monitor the human rights state to strengthen it."
 
"The international reports require follow-up, serious consideration, and swift action to monitor the human rights situation and put an end to the abuses that continue to occur and must be addressed," he continued.



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