Iraq must treat Isil children as victims, says rights group

HUNDREDS of children in Iraq have been charged with links to terrorism, many of them based on confessions obtained through torture, a human rights group has claimed.

Iraqi and Kurdish authorities are detaining around 1,500 children, 158 of whom have been charged with affiliation to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report claims the prosecutions were often based on dubious accusations and forced admissions.

It criticised what it described as a deeply flawed screening process that often led to detention and prosecution of children regardless of whether they had any involvement with Isil, or the extent of that involvement.

Of the children interviewed by HRW who admitted association with Isil, most said they joined because of economic need, peer or family pressure, to escape family problems or gain social status.

Some said they worked as guards, cooks or drivers. Others denied any personal involvement, though some said family members belonged to Isil.

“This sweeping, punitive approach is not justice and will create lifelong negative consequences for many of these children,” warned Jo Becker, the children’s rights advocacy director for HRW. She said people under 18 recruited by armed groups should be recognised primarily as victims to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

Iraq declared victory over Isil in December 2017 and the government has sped through thousands of trials of suspects in the past year.

The Daily Telegraph has attended hearings in Baghdad and Mosul and has heard accusations of torture, five-minute judgments sometimes with no legal representation, and even cases of mistaken identity.