PRESS BRIEFING BY MAX VAN DER STOEL, SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAQ

31 March 1999


Max Van Der Stoel, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Iraq told correspondents today in Geneva that he regretted he had nothing positive to report. The pattern of violation of human rights continued as it did before. Iraq had a regime that was not capable of starting a process of liberalisation, but a regime which felt that it could only remain in power by suppressing any sign of opposition.

He also wished to mention the murder of Grand Ayatollah Mohamed Sadeq al-Sadar and his two sons on 19 February 1999, only one week after he had demanded the release of Shi'ite clerics. This is not the first murder of a Shi'ite community leader: in 1998, two other murders took place; he found it difficult to believe that the Goverment was not implicated. There are unfortunately many indications that the Goverment was not as innocent as it said it was. The Goverment had promised further investigations, but one could not see any results.

The Special Rapporteur expressed his concern regarding the food situation in Iraq. He hoped that the oil-for-food programme would become more effective. However, he believed that the Government has its own responsibility to provide its people with food and medicine -- it was not simply the task of the United Nations. Iraq must not use its resources for other purposes, such as the acquisition of weapons. By 31 January 1999, a lot of medicines and medical supplies had been accumulated in Iraq but had not been distributed. There was an urgent need to convince Iraq of its obligation to ensure the more rapid distribution of these vital supplies.

Finally, he said, there was an other aspect of the situation, namely the 625 Kuwaitis missing since the Iraqi occupation of 1991. So far, only three cases had been resolved. A commission had been set up by the International Commitee of the Red Cross, but at its last meeting, the Government had not turned up. In 475 cases, the Government had not provided any information. This was a Human tragedy.

Asked how he could be sure of these human rights violations since he had not been to Iraq for some time, Mr. Van Der Stoel said that although Iraq had refused him entry since 1992, and refused to reply to his request for information, there were various other ways to obtain information. This included visiting neighbouring countries, asking non governmental organizations, etc.

Mr. Van Der Stoel said that the international community should do everything in its power to ensure that Iraq complied with the terms of the resolutions already adopted by the Commission and the General Assembly.