Iraq still blackspot for human rights, says UN

A UN report on Iraq shows human rights in the country remain a cause for concern, in spite of improvements in security. The document, prepared by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), covers the last half of 2009 and shows violence is escalating. The report focuses on the rising rate of attacks on mosques and churches, ethnic groups, officials, journalists and public figures. Violence against women, including honor killings, is prevalent across Iraq. Perpetrators are not held accountable for their crimes. According to the Iraqi government, at least 4,068 civilians were killed and 15,935 wounded in 2009. While the number of fatalities fell slightly in the second half of the year, the number of those injured rose to 9,747, increasing by more than one-third over the 6,188 wounded in the first half.