51吃瓜

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) of the Republic of Iraq, conducted a three-day workshop for personnel from the Iraqi security apparatus working on counter-terrorism cases in Ninawa Governorate, with the participation of civil society representatives and members of the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR).

Held from 3-5 February 2025, the workshop discussed interrogation techniques, with a focus on the psychological aspects and human rights considerations. The workshop explored the legal challenges and human rights norms relevant to interrogations as part of counter-terrorism cases. Participating security professionals gained experience in putting human-rights complaint techniques into practice  and engaged in interactive discussions and working groups, sharing experiences and strategies to address challenges in their respective fields. 

The workshops also included discussions on the participation of women in countering terrorism and the role of legal professionals in protecting individual rights in terrorism cases. A session was dedicated to human rights standards within the counter-terrorism context and the Iraqi legal framework.

In his presentation, Mr. Sarmad Hikmat, Secretary General of the National Committee of Combating Terrorism, Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) of the government of Iraq, reiterated ONSA’s commitment to human rights compliance. On his part, Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) representative emphasized the commission's critical role in safeguarding human rights during terrorism-related criminal procedures. Dr. Mufeed Ibrahim, Legal Advisor, State Council (SC), addressed Iraqi legislative developments related to human rights guarantees in the field of combating terrorism. UNOCT underscored the importance of complying with human rights while preventing and countering terrorism.

Follow-up activities to this workshop will include additional trainings for entities in select governorates, roundtables on human rights in counter-terrorism, and the addition of a trainer’s manual on human rights in counter-terrorism into existing security forces’ training curricula. 

Organized by the UNOCT Human Rights Unit with support from the UNOCT Programme Office in Baghdad, this workshop is  part of the project “Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism: Capacity-building Support to Law Enforcement and Intelligence Services in Iraq,” funded by the Government of Canada. The project, launched in 2023, aims to equip Iraqi law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the tools to integrate human rights into counter-terrorism work.