Home
An international organization: The Iraqi authorities have failed to compensate thousands of Yazidis and others in Sinjar
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
2023-05-09 00:27
Share
Font
Shafaq News / Human Rights Watch said today, Tuesday, that the Iraqi authorities failed to pay the financial compensation due under Iraqi law to thousands of Yazidis and others from Sinjar district for the destruction and damage caused to their property before by ISIS and as a result of the military battles waged by the Iraqi forces. And the coalition forces led by the United States are against him.
An international coalition led by the United States expelled ISIS from Sinjar in late 2015, but at least 200,000 Sinjars are still suffering in camps for the displaced in northern Iraq.
“Without compensation, many Sinjars lack the financial resources to rebuild their homes and businesses, so returning home is simply not possible,” said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher for Amnesty International. “The Iraqi authorities need to distribute the money already earmarked for compensation to help people return home.” their homes and rebuild their lives.
Sinjar (Kurdish: Shingal) is a district located in a mountainous region in northwestern Iraq, and it is home to a mixture of Kurds, Arabs, and Yazidis, who are an ethnic and religious minority. As of 2023, Yezidis from the region made up 85 percent of the 200,000 Sinjaris who remain displaced.
Many of the displaced have been living in camps since 2014. Those who have returned face precarious security conditions and inadequate or non-existent public services, including education, health care, water and electricity.
To understand the barriers to their return, Human Rights Watch interviewed dozens of Sinjars living in refugee camps in Dohuk governorate; three Sinjars who returned to Sinjar; local government officials, including Najm al-Jubouri, the governor of Nineveh; Majid Shankali, Member of Parliament representing Sinjar; Nayef Sido, Acting District Commissioner of Sinjar Region; a former member of the Nineveh Governorate Council; And a representative of the sub-compensation committee in Sinjar.
The organization also interviewed the former head of the Autonomous Administration in Sinjar, representatives of six civil society organizations, and two Western diplomats.
In its report issued today, the international organization says, "The only Sinjaris who have received compensation so far are a small number of Yazidis who have submitted claims under a law passed by the Iraqi government in 2021, which is the 'Yazidi Women Survivors Law', to provide compensation to the Yazidis and other ethnic minorities, including the Turkmens." Christians and Shabak who were summarily killed, kidnapped, enslaved and raped by ISIS in 2014. Thousands of Yazidis are still displaced, and 2,700 are missing.”
A first group of 420 Yazidi women received financial compensation under the Yazidi Survivors Law in February 2023.
Rights Watch says: This step is positive and necessary to address the violations committed against the Yazidi community and other minorities, which amount to crimes against humanity, but it meets the needs of only a small part of the Sinjar people who have the right to compensation.
Those not covered by the Yazidi Survivors Law have the right to file compensation claims under Law No. 20 of 2009, which has broader jurisdiction and allows Iraqis to seek compensation for damages “as a result of war operations, military errors, and terrorist operations.” The law provides for compensation for all civilian victims of the war and their family members in cases of "martyrdom, loss, disability, injuries, damage to property, and damages related to employment and study." Compensation for property damage includes damaged vehicles, houses, farms, furniture, shops and businesses.
Since the opening of the Office of the Compensation Subcommittee in Sinjar under Law No. 20 in 2021, 10,500 Sinjari have filed compensation claims, a representative of the office told Human Rights Watch. He also said that about 5,000 of these requests were approved, but that no family received any money owed to them.
Majed Shankali, a member of the House of Representatives from Sinjar, said: Compensation demands have not been paid in Sinjar due to problems with the federal budget since 2021. Iraq has not approved a federal budget in 2022 due to the inability to form a government after the October 2021 elections. The cabinet approved. Iraqi in March 2023 on a draft budget covering the period from 2023 to 2025.
People interviewed by the organization cited the government's failure to provide compensation as a major obstacle to their return, in addition to the lack of basic services and security risks in Sinjar.
"Your house gets destroyed and then you have to pay money to get compensation for something that wasn't your fault," said a shopkeeper living in a camp for the displaced.
People interviewed by Human Rights Watch said: Compensation procedures under the Yazidi Survivors Law and Law No. 20 are complex, lengthy, and expensive, and sometimes even impossible to achieve. The process under Law No. 20 in Sinjar, as in other Iraqi regions, has been hampered by deficiencies in terms of procedures, operations, and budgetary issues.
People interviewed by the organization reported that it took them up to two years to complete the procedures and spent between 300,000 and 1 million Iraqi dinars (between $205 and $762) on legal and administrative fees and transportation. They also said that the compensation recommended by the Sinjar Compensation Committee was often much less than the value of destroyed homes or businesses, or much less than the cost of completely rebuilding them.
For some, the cost of the process and the related bureaucratic complexities, coupled with its apparent futility, led them to refrain from the whole matter or even not to file compensation claims at all, according to the report.
The committee that oversees compensation under Law No. 20 includes representatives from the Ministries of Health, Defense, Interior, and Justice, and from local government. Claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the value of lost homes and businesses and the percentage of damage.
The report indicates that the committee suffers from a significant shortage of staff, as there are only five officials in the compensation office in Sinjar, which is the body affiliated with the local government and its mission is to receive and decide on claims in Sinjar, and it is charged with studying thousands of claims.
A representative of the CSC office in Sinjar said that when the CSC approves a request, it is sent for approval either to Mosul—for claims under 30 million Iraqis ($20,500)—or to Baghdad, for claims above that. After that, the application is sent to the relevant financial department to consider the payment and distribution procedures.
The representative said that the lack of staff contributed to the long waiting time, and that the non-payment of compensation to the applicants who received approval is the result of the delay in the financial department in Nineveh Governorate in Mosul.
Of the 5,000 applications approved by the Sinjar Compensation Committee, 1,500 are awaiting final approval from Mosul or Baghdad, and 3,500 are awaiting payment by the Finance Department.
Human Rights Watch said that the Iraqi government should address the delays in the compensation process that impede the timely disbursement of funds to the claimants, and ensure the provision of adequate funding for Law No. 20. In addition, and to remove other barriers that prevent the return of the Sinjarians and the realization of the economic rights of all of them. If he lives there, the Iraqi authorities should provide funds to develop physical infrastructure and provide public services in Sinjar, including education, health care, water, electricity, and more.
The Iraqi constitution of 2005 guarantees the payment of compensation to the families of those killed and injured in acts it considers terrorist. Human Rights Watch has previously reported on the discriminatory application of Law No. 20 and its prevention of families with alleged ties to ISIS from obtaining compensation or filing claims to that effect.
“Compensation is a critical step towards acknowledging the suffering civilians have gone through and helping them rebuild their lives,” Sanbar said. “The government should allocate money for approved compensation and pay it as quickly as possible. Sinjars should not be left waiting in vain.”
Compensation loopholes under Law No. 20
The Sinjars interviewed by the organization said that the compensation process under Law No. 20 is complex, lengthy, and costly. Claimants are required to obtain seals or documents from several agencies, including the local municipality office, the courts, the Ministries of Electricity and Agriculture, the Water Department, the Judicial Damage Assessment Committee that assesses property value and the level of damage, the police, the National Security Agency, and the Compensation Department.
These people reported spending up to one million Iraqi dinars ($762) on administrative and legal fees and travel expenses between Sinjar, Mosul, and Dohuk. The last step in the process is obtaining a security clearance from the Intelligence and National Security Agency of the Ministry of Interior confirming that the claimants are not wanted because of their affiliation with ISIS, which could take months.
Claimants should also identify each piece of furniture that was looted or destroyed. Nayef Sido, acting mayor of Sinjar, said he estimates that 90 percent of the items under review are furniture. The process could take years to complete.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
2023-05-09 00:27
Share
Font
Shafaq News / Human Rights Watch said today, Tuesday, that the Iraqi authorities failed to pay the financial compensation due under Iraqi law to thousands of Yazidis and others from Sinjar district for the destruction and damage caused to their property before by ISIS and as a result of the military battles waged by the Iraqi forces. And the coalition forces led by the United States are against him.
An international coalition led by the United States expelled ISIS from Sinjar in late 2015, but at least 200,000 Sinjars are still suffering in camps for the displaced in northern Iraq.
“Without compensation, many Sinjars lack the financial resources to rebuild their homes and businesses, so returning home is simply not possible,” said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher for Amnesty International. “The Iraqi authorities need to distribute the money already earmarked for compensation to help people return home.” their homes and rebuild their lives.
Sinjar (Kurdish: Shingal) is a district located in a mountainous region in northwestern Iraq, and it is home to a mixture of Kurds, Arabs, and Yazidis, who are an ethnic and religious minority. As of 2023, Yezidis from the region made up 85 percent of the 200,000 Sinjaris who remain displaced.
Many of the displaced have been living in camps since 2014. Those who have returned face precarious security conditions and inadequate or non-existent public services, including education, health care, water and electricity.
To understand the barriers to their return, Human Rights Watch interviewed dozens of Sinjars living in refugee camps in Dohuk governorate; three Sinjars who returned to Sinjar; local government officials, including Najm al-Jubouri, the governor of Nineveh; Majid Shankali, Member of Parliament representing Sinjar; Nayef Sido, Acting District Commissioner of Sinjar Region; a former member of the Nineveh Governorate Council; And a representative of the sub-compensation committee in Sinjar.
The organization also interviewed the former head of the Autonomous Administration in Sinjar, representatives of six civil society organizations, and two Western diplomats.
In its report issued today, the international organization says, "The only Sinjaris who have received compensation so far are a small number of Yazidis who have submitted claims under a law passed by the Iraqi government in 2021, which is the 'Yazidi Women Survivors Law', to provide compensation to the Yazidis and other ethnic minorities, including the Turkmens." Christians and Shabak who were summarily killed, kidnapped, enslaved and raped by ISIS in 2014. Thousands of Yazidis are still displaced, and 2,700 are missing.”
A first group of 420 Yazidi women received financial compensation under the Yazidi Survivors Law in February 2023.
Rights Watch says: This step is positive and necessary to address the violations committed against the Yazidi community and other minorities, which amount to crimes against humanity, but it meets the needs of only a small part of the Sinjar people who have the right to compensation.
Those not covered by the Yazidi Survivors Law have the right to file compensation claims under Law No. 20 of 2009, which has broader jurisdiction and allows Iraqis to seek compensation for damages “as a result of war operations, military errors, and terrorist operations.” The law provides for compensation for all civilian victims of the war and their family members in cases of "martyrdom, loss, disability, injuries, damage to property, and damages related to employment and study." Compensation for property damage includes damaged vehicles, houses, farms, furniture, shops and businesses.
Since the opening of the Office of the Compensation Subcommittee in Sinjar under Law No. 20 in 2021, 10,500 Sinjari have filed compensation claims, a representative of the office told Human Rights Watch. He also said that about 5,000 of these requests were approved, but that no family received any money owed to them.
Majed Shankali, a member of the House of Representatives from Sinjar, said: Compensation demands have not been paid in Sinjar due to problems with the federal budget since 2021. Iraq has not approved a federal budget in 2022 due to the inability to form a government after the October 2021 elections. The cabinet approved. Iraqi in March 2023 on a draft budget covering the period from 2023 to 2025.
People interviewed by the organization cited the government's failure to provide compensation as a major obstacle to their return, in addition to the lack of basic services and security risks in Sinjar.
"Your house gets destroyed and then you have to pay money to get compensation for something that wasn't your fault," said a shopkeeper living in a camp for the displaced.
People interviewed by Human Rights Watch said: Compensation procedures under the Yazidi Survivors Law and Law No. 20 are complex, lengthy, and expensive, and sometimes even impossible to achieve. The process under Law No. 20 in Sinjar, as in other Iraqi regions, has been hampered by deficiencies in terms of procedures, operations, and budgetary issues.
People interviewed by the organization reported that it took them up to two years to complete the procedures and spent between 300,000 and 1 million Iraqi dinars (between $205 and $762) on legal and administrative fees and transportation. They also said that the compensation recommended by the Sinjar Compensation Committee was often much less than the value of destroyed homes or businesses, or much less than the cost of completely rebuilding them.
For some, the cost of the process and the related bureaucratic complexities, coupled with its apparent futility, led them to refrain from the whole matter or even not to file compensation claims at all, according to the report.
The committee that oversees compensation under Law No. 20 includes representatives from the Ministries of Health, Defense, Interior, and Justice, and from local government. Claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the value of lost homes and businesses and the percentage of damage.
The report indicates that the committee suffers from a significant shortage of staff, as there are only five officials in the compensation office in Sinjar, which is the body affiliated with the local government and its mission is to receive and decide on claims in Sinjar, and it is charged with studying thousands of claims.
A representative of the CSC office in Sinjar said that when the CSC approves a request, it is sent for approval either to Mosul—for claims under 30 million Iraqis ($20,500)—or to Baghdad, for claims above that. After that, the application is sent to the relevant financial department to consider the payment and distribution procedures.
The representative said that the lack of staff contributed to the long waiting time, and that the non-payment of compensation to the applicants who received approval is the result of the delay in the financial department in Nineveh Governorate in Mosul.
Of the 5,000 applications approved by the Sinjar Compensation Committee, 1,500 are awaiting final approval from Mosul or Baghdad, and 3,500 are awaiting payment by the Finance Department.
Human Rights Watch said that the Iraqi government should address the delays in the compensation process that impede the timely disbursement of funds to the claimants, and ensure the provision of adequate funding for Law No. 20. In addition, and to remove other barriers that prevent the return of the Sinjarians and the realization of the economic rights of all of them. If he lives there, the Iraqi authorities should provide funds to develop physical infrastructure and provide public services in Sinjar, including education, health care, water, electricity, and more.
The Iraqi constitution of 2005 guarantees the payment of compensation to the families of those killed and injured in acts it considers terrorist. Human Rights Watch has previously reported on the discriminatory application of Law No. 20 and its prevention of families with alleged ties to ISIS from obtaining compensation or filing claims to that effect.
“Compensation is a critical step towards acknowledging the suffering civilians have gone through and helping them rebuild their lives,” Sanbar said. “The government should allocate money for approved compensation and pay it as quickly as possible. Sinjars should not be left waiting in vain.”
Compensation loopholes under Law No. 20
The Sinjars interviewed by the organization said that the compensation process under Law No. 20 is complex, lengthy, and costly. Claimants are required to obtain seals or documents from several agencies, including the local municipality office, the courts, the Ministries of Electricity and Agriculture, the Water Department, the Judicial Damage Assessment Committee that assesses property value and the level of damage, the police, the National Security Agency, and the Compensation Department.
These people reported spending up to one million Iraqi dinars ($762) on administrative and legal fees and travel expenses between Sinjar, Mosul, and Dohuk. The last step in the process is obtaining a security clearance from the Intelligence and National Security Agency of the Ministry of Interior confirming that the claimants are not wanted because of their affiliation with ISIS, which could take months.
Claimants should also identify each piece of furniture that was looted or destroyed. Nayef Sido, acting mayor of Sinjar, said he estimates that 90 percent of the items under review are furniture. The process could take years to complete.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
» utube 11/5/24 MM&C MM&C News Report-ICC-Investors-RIYADA BANK-Port of Faw-3 Presidents Seated-Removi
» utube 11/2/24 MM&C Report-Iraq 3 Presidents-National-Constitutional Entitlements-Open Market Operati
» With the document.. Cancellation of the suspension of the agricultural plan in the Iraqi "breadbaske
» Economist criticizes government's neglect of tourism, agriculture and dependence on oil
» Al-Sudani: The development path will be an artery linking most countries in the region
» Parliamentary bloc: Popular Mobilization Forces retirement law ready for voting
» Al-Kadhimi: Financial costs and government insistence will force Americans to withdraw militarily
» Parliamentary Committee Rejects Inclusion of Public Money Thieves in Amnesty Decision
» Al-Mashhadani directs to resolve differences over draft laws before submitting them to Parliament
» Emaar: Launching the housing loan application form in early 2025
» Parliamentary Health: The environment needs 2.6 billion dinars to operate air purification stations
» Al-Sudani: We faced major challenges in implementing the “Greater Iraq” project
» Iraqi Ports reveals in numbers the percentage of completion in the Grand Faw Port projects
» More than $300 million.. Central Bank sales increase in today's auction
» Faw Port prepares to receive the first commercial ship
» Service Effort of {Sabah}: Completing all projects with high implementation rates before the end of
» Government agency for digital transformation
» Parliamentary Committee: Final version of the National Day Law
» Al-Imar to {Sabah}: Launching the housing loan application form at the beginning of 2025
» Iraq looks forward to a new phase after Trump's victory
» Training workshops to help the unemployed in Kirkuk
» Nineveh to open oncology hospital in early 2025
» Service Effort: Completion of all projects that exceeded 80% completion rates.
» Parliamentary Health: The environment needs 2.6 billion dinars to operate air purification stations
» Transportation: 20 public transport lines to be launched this month
» Al-Emaar to {Al-Sabah}: Launching the housing loan application form in early 2025
» The most prominent achievements of Al-Sudani's government in the youth care and sports sector files
» Planning: The percentage of women in the workforce does not exceed 13 percent
» Baghdad is the capital of Arab tourism
» Al-Sudani: The Grand Faw Port is Iraq's largest project
» Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee to NINA: This is what is delaying the selection of the list
» Parliamentary lawsuit to challenge the contract with the International Finance Corporation
» Minister of Justice issues directive regarding foreign lawsuits file
» How will Trump's victory affect Iraq?
» State Administration Coalition holds meeting with Al-Sudani and Al-Mashhadani in attendance
» Formation of the regional government.. How much influence does the new US administration have on the
» Al-Sudani announces the receipt of the five berths that represent the backbone of Al-Faw Port
» Despite its global rise... Iraqi oil returns to the red zone
» Iraq Counts on the Grand Faw Port, and an Expert Says: It Will Change the Economy - Urgent
» Rafidain Bank expands comprehensive banking system to include 48 branches
» "The reference" indicates the seriousness of the situation... and the political forces "shuffle the
» Criminal wanted by Iraqi judiciary.. Rashid and Al-Sudani’s congratulations to Trump spark widesprea
» State Administration Coalition holds meeting with Al-Sudani and Al-Mashhadani in attendance
» Parliamentary Security and Defense: There are “fake” security companies run by “suspicious” figures
» Fares Issa meets the Czech Ambassador to Iraq
» Al-Sudani issues several directives to lift the ban on Iraqi Airways
» Makkia: Iraq is heading towards a major investment marathon
» Al-Fatlawi: The population census enumeration and numbering process exceeded 98% throughout Iraq
» Ministerial Council: Talk of using Iraqi territory as a launching pad for false pretext attacks
» Türkiye: Our relationship with Iraq is witnessing positive development and we are keen to strengthen
» Basra Gas Company announces the return of production and export operations to normal
» Former Minister Reveals “Exciting” Details Concerning Leaks... What’s the Story of the Electronic Fl
» Al-Sudani receives the five berths of Al-Faw Port from the Korean company
» Implementation of judicial memoranda of understanding on the table of the meeting between Faeq Zidan
» List of dollar prices in Iraqi markets today, Thursday
» It will include smaller areas and eliminate the sponsor.. Insistence on legislating the “Housing Fun
» Prime Minister: We are facing a new Iraq and the path of development will be an artery linking most
» Completion rates have increased fivefold in two years.. “Amazing” information and scenes from Al-Faw
» Central Bank: Importance of cooperation and money transfer to facilitate trade with Azerbaijan
» Iraqi Businesswomen Council: A safe environment to support women’s entrepreneurship and develop skil
» Economist: The value of the dinar will decrease and the financial deficit will increase
» American website: Iraq's budget suffers from a deficit of $49.3 billion
» Good news for journalists and writers.. The "financial grant" will be launched on this date
» Iraq is the third Arab country in gold reserves
» Wanted by Iraqi judiciary.. An "Iraqi-American" diplomatic crisis with Trump's victory in the US pre
» Central Bank of Iraq sells more than $280 million in auction today
» Trump's victory... will it be a lifeline from the "judicial guillotine"?
» After winning the presidential race, Trump talks about a “strong mandate”
» Al-Sudani chairs meeting with IATA delegation
» Central Bank Governor stresses need for cooperation to facilitate trade with Azerbaijan
» utube 11/6/24 Donald Trump's full victory speech
» Deep State Confronted by Trump.. Will Elon Musk Lead America, the World and “Mars”?
» Alsumaria Noon Bulletin Files: Trump's Victory and Objections to the General Amnesty Law
» Parliamentary bloc explains reasons for demanding extension of legislative term
» Al-Sudani discusses with an international delegation lifting the ban on Iraqi Airways
» Axios: Washington warned Baghdad that Israel may attack Iraq if it does not prevent the Iranian atta
» Trump declares victory in US elections: I will not start wars, but I will end them
» Parliamentary Foreign Affairs: Trump is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary, but the country's interest co
» "Al-Eqtisad News" publishes the full decisions of the Cabinet session
» Bitcoin Hits All-Time High in Early Trading
» Iraq tops the list of countries importing Arab products related to construction activity
» 2025 Strong national economy and sound banks
» Government stresses the need to secure petroleum derivatives for energy production
» Anbar: The second phase of the electricity connection with Jordan has reached its end
» Iraq's gold holdings rise to more than 152.5 tons
» Al-Alaq stresses to Azerbaijani ambassador the importance of cooperation in transferring money to fa
» 7 decisions on the general population census
» The world awaits the new US president
» Sudanese demands stopping the Zionist aggression
» Wasit: Distribution of seeds among farmers with a support rate of 70 percent
» Trade: Central markets {hypermarkets} to officially open in 2025
» Civil Service Council: Controls for appointing land donors
» Baghdad Municipality: Measures to avoid damage from oil spills in the Tigris
» The Board of Trustees discusses a number of topics related to developing the work of the media netwo
» Sovereign guarantees boost labor market
» Mazhar Saleh: No impact of oil price drop on operating budget
» Iraq's share in the IMF
» Trump's "Historic" Victory: World Leaders Congratulate Him