The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) calls upon the international community and the United Nations to launch an independent investigation into the recent air raids and heavy bombardment that led to a large number of
civilian casualties, mainly children, women and elderly in the city of Mosul, Iraq.

The rising toll in civilian deaths in Mosul is a deeply troubling development in the war in Mosul. The effort to destroy ISIS in Mosul is not a blank check to level the city on its inhabitants.

The city of Mosul and its population have been under siege and find themselves in the midst of a war that is larger than them and their city. There are reports of civilians being deprived of basic needs. The law of war requires respect of the human rights of the noncombatants. Labeling the effort in Mosul a “war on terror” does not change the obligations of the parties involved in the conflict to the civilian population’s needs and rights..

AHRC calls upon the Iraqi government and the United Nations to thoroughly investigate this latest air raid and to provide for the humanitarian needs of the people of Mosul. It is dangerous for the people of Mosul to leave the city and equally dangerous to stay. The international community should find this reality unacceptable and spare no effort in aiding the innocents in Mosul caught in the crossfire.

“Human beings have fundamental human rights even during armed conflicts,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “The infliction of suffering and death on innocent civilians violates their human rights and feeds into a narrative of grievance that perpetuates the conflict,” said Hamad.

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