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Fight against Islamic state

UN approves probe into Islamic State crimes in Iraq

The document was drafted by the UK in cooperation with Iraq and was unanimously supported by all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council

© AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

UNITED NATIONS, September 21. /TASS/. The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday passed a resolution supporting an investigation of crimes committed by Islamic State militants in Iraq.

The document was drafted by the United Kingdom in cooperation with Iraq and was unanimously supported by all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia.

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The resolution requests the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to "establish an Investigative Team, headed by a Special Adviser, to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da’esh) accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence in Iraq of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the terrorist group ISIL (Da’esh) in Iraq." The team that is being set up for a two-year term will include Iraqi lawyers, specialists in crime detection and international experts.

The document stresses that the Investigative Team "should be impartial, independent, and credible" and "shall operate with full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq and its jurisdiction over crimes committed in its territory."

According to the resolution, collected evidence will be referred to the government in Baghdad but will be available for other countries that carry out their own criminal probes against Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq. A special approval of the United Nations Security Council will be needed should any state other than Iraq needs assistance of the Investigative Team in collecting evidence in Iraq.

The text of the resolution was circulated by the United Kingdom among the Security Council members on September 12. No major amendment have been introduced ever since.

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