Iraqi authorities must rein in all forces participating in the recapture of Fallujah said Amnesty International today, amid reports that men and boys fleeing the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated by government-backed militias and at least three have died as a result.

Amnesty has spoken to victims who described the torture and other ill-treatment meted out to them in detention and who claim to have witnessed killings.

Philip Luther, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said:

“Civilians risking their lives to escape from IS atrocities must be protected and given the humanitarian aid they desperately need. Instead it seems that some are having to run the gauntlet of being subjected to further abuse and reprisal attacks.”

Local officials in Anbar province, where Fallujah is located, told Amnesty that on Sunday (5 June), 605 men and boys were handed over to the provincial council and that many of them had injuries including fractures, contusions, welts and open wounds as a result of beatings. Three bodies were also handed over, and another detainee is believed to have died after his transfer to the city of Amariyat al-Fallujah.

The detainees were from Saqlawiya, some 9km north-west of Fallujah, and had been held captive for several days by individuals belonging to government-backed and predominantly Shi’a militias known as Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU).

Amnesty spoke to several survivors who described being held at a military base in Anbar province known as Mazra’at Tarek (Tarek’s farm) for about four days after they fled IS fighters on 2 June. 

One detainee in his forties told Amnesty International:

“The treatment was very bad… we had nothing to drink or eat… Some people drank their urine. About four or five men would come into the room, and beat people with sticks and metal pipes. I don’t know what happened to my brother and two nephews detained with me. I don’t know if they are among the dead or still detained at the farm or transferred to another place… Even those released are suffering from wounds and dehydration. Some have lost consciousness.” 

The detainees described being crammed into small rooms with their hands tied behind their backs, insulted for allegedly supporting IS, and kicked and beaten with various objects including rubber hoses and metal bars. They said they were also deprived of food, water and sanitation facilities.

Several claimed that a number of detainees died as a result of beatings, including with sharp metal objects on the head.

The detainees are now being held in Amariyat al-Fallujah for further security screening and investigations. Several reported that their identification documents had been confiscated by the PMU.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi acknowledged in a televised interview with Iraqiya TV that “mistakes” had been committed by some fighters participating in the battle for Fallujah and vowed not to tolerate human rights violations.

His spokesperson later announced the establishment of a human rights committee to investigate abuses.

Philip Luther said:

“The promise of investigations into human rights abuses is a welcome first step; but more needs to be done to prevent further abuses and bring to justice those suspected of criminal responsibility.

“Any security procedures carried out by Iraqi forces must comply with international human rights law and all those deprived of their liberty must be protected from enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment. Those who are reasonably suspected of having committed criminal offences should be promptly referred to judicial authorities and receive a fair trial that meets international standards. The rest must be released.”

Amnesty is calling on the Iraqi authorities to conduct full, impartial and independent investigations into allegations of torture and unlawful killings by members of the PMU with a view to bringing those responsible to justice in fair trials.

Pending investigations and prosecutions, all those reasonably suspected of committing abuses should be removed from the ranks. The fate and whereabouts of those who have been disappeared must be immediately revealed.

Background

Since the start of the military offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the city of Fallujah from IS on 23 May, an estimated 10,000 people have managed to escape mainly from the city’s outskirts according to UN agencies.

About 50,000 civilians are believed to still be trapped in the city amid reports of shelling and starvation. Civilians who fled told Amnesty that IS fighters have been preventing civilians from central Fallujah from leaving, and have forcibly moved some civilians from the outskirts to the centre of the city.

Reports have also emerged regarding the alleged unlawful killings of 17 men and boys from Karma, about 20km north-east of Fallujah, which Amnesty is investigating.