UN appeals to all Parties in Iraq to respect Human Rights & International Humanitarian Law by Secretary-General Kofi Annan 10:00am 13th May, 2004   12 May 2004    Iraq: Annan horrified by hostage's murder and use as 'public spectacle' (UN News)    United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today condemned the brutal execution of a civilian hostage in Iraq recently, which was captured on videotape and broadcast worldwide Tuesday.    "He was horrified by the gruesome murder of a civilian hostage…and was particularly disturbed by the use of this killing as a public spectacle," the Secretary-General's spokesman Fred Eckhard said in response to a question about hostage Nick Berg, who was beheaded by his hooded captors. "He extends his deepest condolences to the family of the victim and can only image how they must be feeling," Mr. Eckhard added.    The Secretary-General condemned all killings of innocent civilians in Iraq, "as he condemns all abuse of all prisoners and other violations of international humanitarian law," the spokesman said. "Now more than ever he once again appeals to all parties to adhere strictly to the fundamental precepts of human rights and principles of international humanitarian law," Mr. Eckhard said.    GENEVA, 5 May (UN Information Service) –- The Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on arbitrary detention of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Leïla Zerrougui, issued the following statement today:    “The Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on arbitrary detention expresses her serious concern regarding the uncertainty of the legal status of many detainees currently subjected to interrogation in Iraq, in the context of reports of torture of people in detention by United States and United Kingdom military officers serving under the Coalition Provisional Authority.    “According to the information received by the Working Group, the majority of persons in detention in Iraq have been arrested during public demonstrations, at checkpoints and in house raids.  They are being considered ‘security detainees’ or ‘suspected of anti-Coalition activities’.  The Working Group’s Chairperson-Rapporteur is seriously disturbed by the fact that these persons have not been granted access to a court to be able to challenge the lawfulness of their detention, as required by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 9).    “The Working Group calls upon the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council to allow the clarification of the legal status of each person detained in Iraq and to apply the rules and norms enshrined in Articles 9 and 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 9 and 14 of the civil and political rights Covenant.    “The Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on arbitrary detention calls upon the Coalition Provisional Authority, the Iraqi Governing Council and all countries with military forces serving in Iraq to respect the principles and norms of international human rights law and, in the case of persons entitled in principle to prisoner-of-war status, to the norms and principles of international humanitarian law, as enshrined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949.”    GENEVA, 3 May (UN Information Service) –- The Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Theo van Boven, issued the following statement today:    “The Special Rapporteur on torture is seriously concerned about recent reports of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of Iraqi detainees by United States of America and United Kingdom military forces serving under the Coalition Provisional Authority.    The freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is a non-derogable right.  The prohibition of torture is explicitly affirmed in article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the treatment of prisoners and protection of civilians, and in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.    The Special Rapporteur calls upon all countries with forces serving in Iraq to take prompt and effective steps to investigate, prosecute and impose appropriate sanctions on any persons guilty of the alleged violations, as well as provide an effective remedy and adequate reparation for the victims of these abuses.”
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