지난주 바그다드에서 자살 폭탄 테러 등 무장단체에 의한 공격으로 1백 여명이 사망하고 수백 명이 다치는 일이 발생했다.
4월 6일 이라크 바그다드에서 발생한 연쇄 폭탄 공격으로 아파트 7채가 파괴되고 민간인 35명이 사망했다. 부상자는 140여 명으로 추산되며, 모두 민간인으로 추정된다.
이에 앞선 5일에는 시아파(Shi’a) 한 부부가 자녀 넷과 함께 바그다드 외곽의 자택에서 암살됐고, 4일에도 이란, 독일, 이집트 대사들을 표적으로 한 차량 자살 폭탄 테러가 발생해 적어도 41명이 사망하고 200여명이 부상 당했다.
국제앰네스티는 이번 자살폭탄 및 무력단체에 의한 공격으로 100명 이상의 민간인이 사망한 것을 강력하게 비판했다. 국제앰네스티 중동-북아프리카국(局) 말콤 스마트(Malcolm Smart) 국장은 “대부분의 공격이 민간인을 직접적으로 목표로 했기에, 전쟁 범죄에 해당한다”며 목소리를 높였다. 그는 “민간인들을 대상으로 한 연쇄적인 공격은 절대 정당화 될 수 없다”고 지적하며, “이러한 공격을 감행하는 이들은 범죄 행위를 멈추고 재판을 받아야 한다”고 말했다.
그러나 국제앰네스티는 이 범죄자들이 사형의 위험에 노출되는 것은 반대한다. 스마트 국장은 “이들을 처벌하기 위해 사형에 의지한다면, 이라크 사회를 더 야만적으로 이끄는 일이 될 것”이라고 강조했다.
Killings of civilians in Iraq constitute ‘war crimes’
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Over 100 people were killed in suicide bomb and other attacks mounted by armed groups in and around Baghdad in the last week. Amnesty International has condemned the killings of over 100 Iraqi civilians in suicide bomb and other attacks mounted by armed groups in and around Baghdad in the last week.
Hundreds were injured in the attacks, some of which appear to have targeted civilians and to have been intended to cause maximum loss of life.
“Most of these attacks targeted civilians directly and therefore constitute war crimes,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
“If the attacks are part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population in Iraq in furtherance of a particular organization or armed group’s policy, they also constitute crimes against humanity.”
“War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes under international law. These attacks must be stopped immediately and those responsible must be brought to justice.”
Coordinated bomb attacks in several Baghdad districts on Tuesday destroyed seven apartment buildings and left at least 35 people, possibly all civilians, dead and more than 140 other people injured.
On Monday, a Shi’a couple and four of their children were assassinated in their house outside Baghdad.
Three suicide car bomb attacks on Sunday targeted the Iranian, German and Egyptian embassies in Baghdad and resulted in the killing of at least 41 people. More than 200 others were injured.
On Friday, armed men attacked a pre-dominantly Sunni village, south of Baghdad killing 24 people.
No armed group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, but Iraqi politicians have attributed at least some of them to al-Qa’ida in Iraq and its allies.
This latest upsurge in violence appears to be exploiting the political vacuum that now exists in Iraq as leaders of the major political groups have so far failed to garner enough support to form a government following the 7 March elections which did not produce a clear winner.
“Deliberate attacks on civilians can never be justified,” said Malcolm Smart.”Those perpetrating such attacks must desist from such crimes. They must be brought to justice but without resort to the death penalty; use of the death penalty serves only to further brutalize Iraqi society.”
