Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Sous-comité des droits internationaux de la personne du Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

Ottawa, April 10, 2017 -

On Monday, April 10, 2017, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development presented to the House of Commons a report prepared by its Subcommittee on International Human Rights (the Subcommittee) entitled The Day After: Planning for the Protection of Religious and Ethnic Minorities in a Post-Daesh Iraq. The report is based on testimony the Subcommittee received in October and November 2016, from witnesses located in, or recently having returned from, Iraq. The Subcommittee focused on the Nineveh governorate, where Yezidis, Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities, including ethnic Turkmen, the Shabak, the Kaka’i, the Sabaean-Mandeans, are the victims of ongoing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes at the hands of Daesh.

As displaced minorities begin to return to territory liberated from Daesh, the international community and the Government of Canada must begin to plan for the “day after.” Witnesses shared their concern about the proliferation of sectarian militias formed to counter the rise of future extremist groups, the potential for vengeance against Daesh fighters and their perceived enablers, and territorial disputes between Iraqi and Kurdish authorities as factors which will undermine the long-term physical and political security of minorities in Iraq.

The Subcommittee calls upon the Government of Canada to take immediate action to identify and protect the most vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, noting the federal government’s existing three-year commitment of funding and personnel towards stabilization in Iraq. The Subcommittee recommends that the Government of Canada:

1. Continue to work to build local consensus on the administration ofterritories reclaimed from Daesh, particularly to encourage minorityrepresentation in security and law-enforcement and to minimize disputescausing intercommunal tensions;

2. Promote accountability by supporting investigations of serious crimes ofinternational concern to be conducted by the Government of Iraq, theKurdish Regional Government, and international bodies such as theCommission for International Justice and Accountability; and

3. Support the establishment of local truth and reconciliation institutions andan internationally-supported specialized war crimes chamber within thelocal court system. Such support will require efforts to refine the existinglegislative frameworks, enhance judicial capacity, and promote dueprocess.

QUOTES

“Recognizing the profound and ongoing trauma, including genocide, suffered by Yezidis, Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities in Nineveh and across Iraq, the Subcommittee implores the international community to support and implement a long-term strategy aimed at rebuilding communities that have been in Nineveh for centuries.” - Michael Levitt, MP, Chair

“Meaningful accountability for perpetrators of atrocities–from the lowliest Daesh fighter upward– is a key component of preventing future atrocities. Among the great challenges in promoting accountability are collecting and preserving evidence of atrocities, and ensuring that local courts have the capacity to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes under local law, as well as for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.” - David Sweet, MP, Vice-Chair

“Canada’s humanitarian response in Iraq must be paired with long-term strategies to rebuild the most affected communities in a manner that promotes the long-term security of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities. This includes addressing the conditions which foster sectarianism and extremism, and ensuring that Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities see Daesh fighters held accountable for their crimes.” - Cheryl Hardcastle, MP, Vice-Chair