GENEVA - United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay on Monday condemned "appalling, widespread" crimes being committed by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) forces in Iraq, including killings and slavery. The persecution and systematic violations, documented by U.N. human rights investigators, would amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law, she said. Christians, Yazidis and Turkmen are among those targeted by the Sunni militant group, according to Pillay.
"Grave, horrific human rights violations are being committed daily by ISIL [another name for ISIS] and associated armed groups," Pillay said. " Up to 670 prisoners from Badush prison in the city of Mosul were killed by ISIS on June 10 after being taken by truck to a vacant area and screened for non-Sunnis, she said, quoting survivors and witnesses to the "massacre" as telling U.N. human rights investigators. "Such cold-blooded, systematic and intentional killings of civilians, after singling them out for their religious affiliation, may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity," Pillay said. The al Qaeda splinter group seized control of the Iraqi city of Mosul on June 10, putting security forces to flight in a spectacular show of strength against the Shiite-led Baghdad government.
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