BAGHDAD: Amnesty International on Tuesday alleged cases of “torture and ill-treatment” among Iraqis who returned home from Syria to a rehabilitation center for people suspected of Daesh group ties.
The London-based human rights group said it documented cases involving seven men and one woman, detained over the past two years at the Al-Jadaa camp in northern Iraq.
“Seven of them faced torture and ill-treatment,” Amnesty said, describing beatings, electric shocks and suffocation by plastic bags.
Family members observed signs of torture, including broken fingers and dislocated shoulders, the group said in a statement.
“The torture and other ill-treatment suffered by those arrested... is horrifying. It must be stopped and investigated immediately,” said Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard.
Iraq and the United Nations had agreed to repatriate tens of thousands of Iraqis from Syria’s Al-Hol camp, but Callamard called it “unconscionable” that those returning from war and detention face further horrors.”
Amnesty said it spoke with detainees, their families and 16 UN staff members during interviews conducted between July and September.
Of the eight cases, seven detainees described torture by Iraqi security forces. Six are now serving lengthy sentences based on forced confessions, it said.
One detainee, identified by the pseudonym Saleem, described his experience.
“They beat me, and... handcuffed my hands behind my back. They hit the soles of my feet with a green water pipe... I was just saying ‘no’, again and again,” he was quoted as saying by Amnesty.
“During the torture, they said they wanted me to confess to things I didn’t do. I didn’t confess, and so I didn’t walk for four days.”
Amnesty urged Iraqi authorities to “immediately end the use of torture and other ill-treatment and the enforced disappearance of those arrested” at Al-Jadaa.
The non-governmental organization said it had requested but was denied access to interview detainees in July due to “security concerns.”
On October 2, Amnesty said it wrote to Iraq’s prime minister with its findings but has not received a response.
Iraq is one of the few countries to regularly repatriate its nationals from Al-Hol, a policy welcomed by the United Nations and the United States.
Since 2021, Iraqi forces have arrested about 80 people in the camp on charges of affiliation with the Daesh group, Amnesty said.
While some arrests may be “legitimate,” Amnesty noted accusations have occasionally stemmed from personal quarrels or a relative with ties to Daesh.
As of September, Al-Jadaa held 2,223 people, including 1,318 children, 627 women and 278 men, the rights group said.
Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty
https://arab.news/y2wjf
Iraqis returning from Syria face torture: Amnesty
- Iraq and the United Nations had agreed to repatriate tens of thousands of Iraqis from Syria’s Al-Hol camp
- Iraq is one of the few countries to regularly repatriate its nationals from Al-Hol
Palestinian PM: Gaza reconstruction advancing amid US talks, Saudi support
- In an interview with Arab News, Mohammed Mustafa said “Palestinian objective is clear,’ but we need to ‘get Gaza right first’
- Speaking at Davos panel, PM calls Kingdom a key stakeholder in the Palestinian cause
DAVOS: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa told Arab News that progress is underway in Gaza’s reconstruction talks, with clear dialogue between the Palestinian Authority, US President Donald Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
“I think the Palestinian objective is pretty clear, it has been for a long time, which is to establish their own independent state, (achieve) international resolution,” Mustafa said, noting that “we need to get Gaza right first.”
Despite a ceasefire taking hold earlier in 2025, Gaza remains under what the international community describes as an Israeli-enforced blockade. Basic supplies such as food and medicine are still subject to Tel Aviv’s scrutiny, which controls all access in and out of the Strip.
On Sunday, Trump announced that his Gaza plan had entered its second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages, Israel would free more Palestinian prisoners and fully withdraw its forces — a step international actors say should pave the way from ceasefire to lasting peace.
The formation of a technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, composed of Palestinian figures, marks the first concrete step toward implementing the plan and restoring Palestinian ownership of the next phase.
A precise timeline for reconstruction remains unclear, with analysts warning that major works hinge on Hamas disarmament — a politically fraught task assigned to the Gaza Peace Board.
“It’s going to take more than two years to fix Gaza, but at least we want to make sure that things are in the right direction,” continued Mustafa, adding that the West Bank remains part of the broader conversation.
He stressed the urgency of reunifying Gaza’s institutions with the West Bank to achieve the PA’s political goal of independence.
“Our priority is what’s happening to our people in Gaza today. Despite four months passing (after) the ceasefire, people are still dying. Yes, there is a ceasefire but it’s not fully observed due to Israeli military actions,” he said, stressing that “shelter is the biggest challenge” at the moment.
Mustafa revealed he held “very active and useful” talks with US officials on Tuesday, saying both sides “share the same goals” on the matter.
Later in his panel, Mustafa said a Palestinian reform plan is in the works with the help of partners including Saudi Arabia.
In a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mustafa said Saudi Arabia and other partners such as Egypt and Jordan were not just contributors but key stakeholders in the Palestinian cause.
“Saudi Arabia along with France have been working with us on the two state solution and integrating it,” he said.
“We want to work with the board of peace to ensure that they do their part of things to prepare for reconstruction efforts,” he added.
Mustafa said although some view the Oslo treaty as outdated, it still holds its place as an internationally recognized framework.
“According to the Oslo agreement, Israel should have withdrawn from most of the West Bank and Gaza. We want to see Israel respecting this agreement,” he said.
“The Israelis did not respect the economic part of the treaty. We are praying for a heavy price, not only in Gaza and people being killed every day. But also actions on the ground in the West Bank. We said clearly, we want to achieve our goals by peaceful means,” he said.
“Israel today holds $4 billion of our government’s money. They control the borders and collect the tax fines. For the past four months they have sent zero dollars. Our ability to govern has been impacted due to this,” Mustafa said.
In a sideline interview with Arab News, Palestinian Ambassador to Switzerland Ibrahim Mohammad Khraishi said that he met an Egyptian minister who expressed hope that the Rafah crossing could soon reopen on both sides.
“We need the understanding from all,” Khraishi said. “Yes, we have this administrative committee (as part of the Gaza Peace Board), but without the Palestinian Authority, they cannot deliver. Because we have everything. We have the institutions, we have the government,” Khraisi said.
Commenting on recent West Bank developments, including Israeli bulldozers razing the UNRWA compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, he warned: “This is the scenario for the Israelis. For them, there is nothing to talk about. It’s total crash and destruction. Now, what they are doing in West Bank is on the way.”
