UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

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Legal personnel working on “cases involving organized crime, corruption, terrorism and militia–sponsored armed activities” are particularly at risk. 637 Reportedly, members of the Iraqi judiciary are trying to avoid “sensitive” cases, including through resignation or transfer to other posts. While most cases are reported from Baghdad, violence has also affected court functions in the Governorates of Diyala, Babel, Kerbala and Wassit. 638 Other legal personnel have been persecuted for their (perceived) support of the Iraqi Government and its institutions. 639 For example, senior judge Qais Hashim Shameri and his driver were killed by gunmen in January 2005. Jaish Ansar Al-Sunna claimed responsibility in a Web posting, calling the judge “one of the heads of infidelity and apostasy of the new Iraqi government.” 640 Out of fear of being targeted by religious extremists, lawyers reportedly do not want to get engaged in cases involving sensitive family matters such as “honour killings”, inheritance issues or child custody. 641 The Iraqi Lawyers Association (ILA) said in August 2006, that “38 lawyers have been murdered and hundreds attacked for defending cases which their enemies say are “against Islam”.” For example, Ali Al-Nassiri, a Baghdad lawyer specialized in divorce cases, was killed by a bomb that exploded in front of his house in June 2006. Reportedly, he was known for fighting for the rights of mothers to obtain custody of their children, which brought him in conflict with the fathers, who are traditionally given custody in cases of divorce. 642 Currently, sufficient protection mechanisms for legal personnel are nonexistent and a high number of judges, lawyers and other legal professionals have been threatened, kidnapped and killed. 643 It was reported in August 2006 that at least 120 lawyers had left Iraq since January 2006. 644 6. Athletes and Sport Officials Athletes and sports officials have increasingly become targets of threats, kidnappings and assassinations. 645 The reasons behind the attacks appear mixed. Some have been targeted as part of an ongoing campaign against well-known figures so as to instil fear among the 637 UNAMI HRO, June 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 5, see above footnote 27. 638 US Department of Defense, p. 8, see above footnote 73; UNAMI HRO, April 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 10, see above footnote 74. 639 See also “Government Officials and Other Persons Associated With the Current Iraqi Government, Administration and Institutions”. 640 AP, Video shows American hostage; judge killed in clashes, 26 January 2005, http://www.usatoday.com/ news/world/iraq/2005-01-25-voter-safety_x.htm. 641 UNAMI HRO, August 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 7, see above footnote 26. 642 IRIN, Iraq: Lawyers killed for defending cases “against Islam”, 16 August 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=60380. See also “Women”. 643 See for a (non-comprehensive) list of attacks on judicial personnel: “Annex VII: Attacks on Judicial Personnel”. 644 UNAMI HRO, August 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 7, see above footnote 26. 645 See for a (non-comprehensive) list of attacks on athletes and sports officials: “Annex VIII: Attacks on Athletes and Sports Officials”. 120
population at large and bring the country and its institutions to collapse. 646 Others have fallen victim to retaliatory violence between Shi’ites and Sunnis. 647 According to the spokesman of the Iraqi Sports Union, Sami Al-Nahren, a Sunni athlete who wins an athletic match “automatically becomes a target for Shi’ite militias or gangs”, and vice versa. 648 In addition, the perception that sports is a “Western” idea and disrespects Islamic values has led to a number of attacks. 649 Other athletes and sports officials have been targeted for kidnapping for ransom, possibly because they are perceived as wealthy. According to the British newspaper The Times, anyone who is tied to sports in Iraq is perceived to be connected to “money and Western sympathies”. The newspaper further reported that for security reasons, the Iraqi Olympic Committee operates in part from offices in Jordan and football players are desperately trying to get contracts with clubs abroad. The International Olympic Committee expressed concern over the situation of Iraqi athletes and provides funding for a number of Iraqi athletes to train abroad, though for security reasons the Committee would not provide their names. 650 IRIN reported in June 2006, that, according to the Iraqi Sports Union (ISU) in Baghdad, nearly 70 athletes had been killed since the fall of the former regime in 2003. 651 H. Others 1. Women a) Situation in Central and Southern Iraq Since the fall of the previous regime, the security, human rights and economic situation of women has dramatically declined and continues to deteriorate. 652 Widespread fear of abduction for sectarian or criminal reasons, rape, forced prostitution, (sex) trafficking 653 and murder limit their freedom of movement, their access to education, employment and health, and their ability to participate in public life more generally. Observers say that the 646 See also “Government Officials and Other Persons Associated With the Current Iraqi Government, Administration and Institutions”. 647 See also “Shi’ites and Sunnis Civilians”. 648 IRIN, Iraq: Athletes targeted for sectarian, religious reasons, 8 June 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/ report.aspx?reportid=26984. 649 See also “Persons Accused of “Un-Islamic” Behaviour”. 650 Owen Slot, Iraqi sport in state of terror after gunmen draw blood, The Times, 10 October 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article667015.ece. 651 IRIN, Iraq: Athletes targeted for sectarian, religious reasons, see above footnote 648. 652 UNAMI HRO, December 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 3, see above footnote 10. For further information on the security, human rights and economic situation of women in Iraq, see UNHCR, 2005 Country of Origin Information Iraq, p. 31, see above footnote 53. 653 According to the Iraqi NGO Women’s Freedom, and based on anecdotal evidence, nearly 3,500 Iraqi women have gone missing since 2003. It is believed that many were traded for sex work; see: IRIN, Sex traffickers target women in war-torn Iraq, 26 October 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx? reportid=61903; Brian Bennett, Stolen Away: Girls of Iraq Gone Missing, Time Magazine, 25 April 2006, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186558,00.html. The USDOS reported “(T)he ongoing insurgency and terrorism severely handicapped the government’s abilities to combat trafficking. The Iraqi Interim and Transitional Governments did not take action to prosecute or prevent trafficking or to protect victims”; see: USDOS, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Trafficking in Persons Report, 5 June 2006, p. 270, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/66086.pdf. 121
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UNHCR’s ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FO
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iii) Current Situation ............
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a) Overall Situation ..............
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IOM International Organization for
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Current Situat
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and gatherings, Shi’ite religious
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Government Officials and Other Pers
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Iraqi Asylum-Seekers From Central a
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considered to be well-founded. To t
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affiliated with criminal groups. In
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expand on the legal and policy guid
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The general chaos following the inv
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countries. While a good part of the
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evenues. 41 An understanding of var
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Article 140 of the Constitution cal
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the Middle East in terms of women
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epealed the CPA’s decision to sus
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The Iraqi judiciary continues to be
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Several groups, including the Mujah
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Al-Sunna. In addition, members of t
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dominated Special Police Commando u
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military commander in Iraq, General
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IV. PARTICULAR GROUPS AT RISK A. Re
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to Osama Bin Laden, the Shi’ites
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Shi’ite militias on the other han
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underscored how explosive the confl
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of the latest security crack-down i
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Ninewa Plains in particular have be
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The overall climate results in non-
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efuge in the three Northern Governo
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an international court. 261 Several
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The alleged main perpetrators of at
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In the current climate of religious
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Page 85 and 86: KRG. Mr. Falak Al-Deen Kakai, senio
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Page 89 and 90: government offices, 441 and changin
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Page 93 and 94: 2. Roma (Kawliyah) 461 a) Introduct
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Page 117 and 118: 3. Artists Iraqi artists, actors an
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Page 127 and 128: evidence that over forty people had
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Page 131 and 132: V. ELIGIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL PR
Page 133 and 134: those countries, even only on a tem
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Page 137 and 138: cause. 733 More than one Convention
Page 139 and 140: C. Exclusion From International Ref
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Page 151 and 152: D. Internal Flight or Relocation Al
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In addition, non-Kurdish persons, p
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Conclusion Availability of an inter
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to flee Iraq have done so illegally
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explosives blew up. Two people were
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• On 2 July 2003, an armed assaul
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• 18 September 2006: Gunmen kille
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• 17 December 2003: An angry mob
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Annex IV: Attacks on Government Off
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• 2 May 2006: A suicide car bombe
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• 5 December 2006: Dr. Mohammed H
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Annex VI: Attacks on Doctors and Ot
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• 1 July - 31 August 2006: Accord
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Annex VIII: Attacks on Athletes and
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Annex IX: Attacks on Palestinian Re
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Palestinian family fled the hospita
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Annex X: Selected Bibliography Note
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IWPR, Baghdad Gays Fear for Their L
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Senanayake, Sumedha, Iraq: Ethnic T
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W Wilson, Scott, Iraqis Killing For
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