Eurojust | Islamic State jihadists must be prosecuted for war crimes

Defence Redefined

Published on 23/05/2020 at 18:00

Jihadists who have returned home after fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria must be prosecuted internationally for war crimes, according to Eurojust, the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit.

Many of these jihadists face charges under domestic terrorism laws, said Eurojust and the Genocide Network, an organization set up by the European Union to ensure cooperation between national investigators and prosecutors for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. However, broader charges could be imposed under international law covering the worst crimes committed in war, according to The Hague-based Eurojust.

The Islamic State jihadist organization should be considered under international humanitarian law as “part of a non-international armed conflict in Iraq and Syria,” the report said. “As a result, its members and foreign terrorist fighters could be held responsible for war crimes and other major international crimes,” Eurojust said.

Examples of “culminating charges” already exist, especially in France and Germany, the European Union emphasizes. Eurojust and the Genocide Network are calling for such prosecutions to be introduced internationally, allowing for stiffer sentences. In addition, the prosecution of major international crimes is not limited in time, which will allow prosecutors to “work on these cases for decades to come,” it added.

Also read: Iraqi F-16s destroy a base of Islamic State terrorists – VIDEO

From: CNA