KHRP Condemns Continued Bombardments in Kurdistan , Iraq
KHRP condemns the recent escalation of Turkish cross-border bombardments in northern Iraq . Sources in the region informed KHRP that at around 9:30pm on Monday 10 May, Howitzer munitions struck the village of Benistan in the ?eladize district of Kurdistan, Iraq , killing Hussein Rekani (27). It is also reported that his wife and two children are among those being treated for their injuries at Amediye State Hospital .
Turkish army strikes Kurdish PKK rebel targets in Iraqi Kurdistan
ANKARA, — The Turkish air force has struck Kurdish rebel hideouts in neighbouring Kurdistan region of Iraq after an attack inside Turkey left two soldiers dead, the military said late Friday.
“After detecting that anti-aircraft fire was opened on (Turkish) helicopters from various positions across the border, the air force fired on those positions” for an hour Friday afternoon, the army said in an online statement.
“It has been observed that those positions were destroyed,” it said. Read more
New Kurdish mass grave found in Iraq – 19 December 2009
Iraq,— A mass grave discovered in northeast Iraq contains dozens of bodies, mostly of women and children believed killed during a crackdown against Kurds by former dictator Saddam Hussein, an Iraqi official said on Saturday.
The grave was originally found nearly two years ago west of Kirkuk, though its discovery was only made public this week after forensic pathologists began examining it, said Majid Abdullah Karim, an official with the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights. Read more
UNHCR reiterates concern about involuntary returns to Iraq amid violence
Briefing Notes, 11 December 2009
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 11 December 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is shocked and saddened by the recent bombings and continued violence in Iraq which have left hundreds dead and wounded this week.
Despite the efforts of the authorities, the security situation remains precarious. For this reason UNHCR’s guidelines on Iraqis (last revised in April 2009) should continue to be applied and countries need to refrain from forcibly returning Iraqis originating from the region of Central Iraq back to those governorates deemed to be unsafe, namely – Baghdad, Ninewa, Salah al Din, Diyala, Tameem (Kirkuk).
In our guidelines issued last April, we noted that in view of the serious human rights violations and continuing security incidents throughout Iraq, most predominantly in the central governorates, asylum-seekers from these governorates should be considered to be in need of international protection. UNHCR therefore advises against involuntary returns to Iraq of persons originating from Central Iraq until there is a substantial improvement in the security and human rights situation in the country.
Concerning asylum-seekers from the three northern governorates, as well as those from the southern governorates and Al Anbar, UNHCR recommends that their protection needs are assessed on an individual basis.
While the number of security incidents has reduced many groups continue to face significant threats with UNHCR offices reporting that the numbers of Iraqi refugees returning are being offset by new arrivals.
http://www.unhcr.org/4b222efe9.html
