The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) has confirmed that it has concluded that the Speicher Massacre committed by ISIS terrorists constitutes a war crime against the Shias.
In his briefing to the Security Council on the developments of UNITAD’s investigations into the crimes of ISIS in Iraq, Special Counselor Karim Khan said, “The attacks of ISIS on members of the Shia community from Tikrit Air Academy (Speicher) constitute war crimes of murder, torture, cruel treatment and attacks on dignity.”
“Investigations also concluded that ISIS incited genocide against Shia Muslims,” he added.
He continued, “I can assure the Council that based on our independent criminal investigations, the UNITAD investigation team has reached clear and convincing evidence that ISIS has committed genocide against the Yazidis as a religious group.”
Khan pointed out that “with the development of its capabilities, the terrorist organization deployed sulfur mustard produced as part of its program, including the March 2016 attack in which 40 rockets were fired at the Shia Turkmen town of Tuz Khurmatu.”
