Iraq PM Abadi rejects U.S. plans for Jerusalem embassy, HRW report
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. File photo.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi rejected on Tuesday plans by U.S. President Donald Trump to transfer his country’s embassy to Jerusalem, also dismissing a Human Rights Watch report on terrorism trials in his country.
In his weekly press conference, Abadi said “the cabinet rejects the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem and warns against consequences of that matter on regional and world stability.
According to Abadi, the U.S. decision represents “an abuse of the rights of Palestinians, the Arab and Islamic Worlds and the rest of faiths”.
U.S. officials were recently quoted saying that Trump would deliver a speech on Wednesday recognizing Jerusalem, disputed by the Palestinians and Israelis as their capital, as the capital of Israel, before relocating his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to there as confirmation of that recognition.
Trump’s plans drew objection from the European Union and the Arab League, which prompted him to delay the declaration.
Also in his press conference, Abadi dismissed a report by Human Rights Watch on unfounded terrorism prosecutions in Iraq as “untrue”.
“finds serious legal shortcomings that undermine efforts to bring (Islamic State) fighters, members, and affiliates to justice,” the organization said in a 80-page report targeting the Baghdad and Erbil governments.
“Thousands of trials of Islamic State suspects without a strategy to prioritise the worst abuses under Iraqi and international law…The broad prosecution under terrorism law of all those affiliated with ISIS (IS) in any way, no matter how minimal, could impede future community reconciliation and reintegration, and clog up Iraqi courts and prisons for decades,” HRW said.