Amnesty opposes introduction of US courts to Iraq
Amnesty International has questioned the right of US authorities in Iraq to reconvene the country’s judicial system.
The United States has announced that it is considering establishing a special court to mete out justice to those responsible for past crimes against Iraqi citizens.
It is believed that the court would operate on the same the basis as the Iraqi legal system. However, Amnesty International has claimed that any such measures must be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations.
The US has also been criticised for other interventions, including its draft resolution for the removal of UN sanctions against Iraq and payment of Iraqi oil revenue into American and British-controlled funds.
The human rights group has noted that it welcomes the attempt to obtain justice for Iraqi victims, but added: “This process would be best facilitated by bringing to Iraq international experts to work with Iraqis in assessing the Iraqi justice system and making recommendations for its long-term reform and for any transitional mechanism that may be needed in the meantime.”
As occupying powers, under international humanitarian law the US and the UK must ensure law and order in the country, which could involve legal processes to deal with immediate problems.
However, Amnesty International stresses that such measures fall far short of engaging in “a major, long-term review of the Iraqi justice system”.
There were further indications of the scale of the atrocities carried out under the Ba’athist regime today, when Amnesty International workers uncovered as many as seven mass graves near the southern city of Basra.
