IRAQ: Eight years of abuses and impunity

A leading human rights group released a report Monday documenting the proliferation of human rights abuses in Iraq since the United States' invasion in 2003. Among the most egregious cases, the 102-page report by Human Rights Watch identifies women, journalists, detainees and marginalized groups, including internally displaced persons and religious minorities, as the most vulnerable populations in Iraq. "Beyond the continuing violence and crimes associated with it, human rights abuses are commonplace," the report found. It said that in many instances the Iraqi government has failed to pursue "independent and impartial" investigations. "At a Crossroads: Human Rights in Iraq Eight Years After the US-Led Invasion" is based on 178 interviews with individuals from a variety of stations in Iraqi society in seven cities across the country dating back to April 2010. The Iraqi government is a party to a number of international treaties that clearly define the role of governments in preventing human rights abuses, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention against Torture. However, the report found that it has often failed to enact and enforce commensurate legal and penal codes.