The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to establish an investigative team to help Iraq secure evidence of atrocities committed by Islamic State militants "that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."
Britain, which drafted the resolution, said the team would bring some justice to those who had experienced atrocities at the hands of IS, variously known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh.
The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, called the resolution "a landmark" that would "provide an indispensable record of the scope and scale" of IS atrocities."
"It's a huge milestone for all of those who've been fighting for justice for victims of crimes committed by ISIS,'' well-known international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, said in the Facebook Live video. "It says to victims that their voices will be heard and they may finally get their day in court.''
But Human Rights Watch criticized the resolution as a missed opportunity by the council "to address war crimes and rights abuses by all sides to the conflict in Iraq."
“No one denies the importance of tackling the widespread atrocities by ISIS in Iraq, but ignoring abuses by Iraqi and international forces is not only flawed, it's shortsighted,” said Balkees Jarrah, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “The pursuit of justice is essential to all victims who saw their loved ones tortured and killed, or houses burned and bombed, regardless of who is responsible.”
联合国安理会一致投票，决定建立一支调查小组，协助伊拉克搜集证据，证明伊斯兰国激进分子在伊拉克犯下的，“可能构成战争罪，反人类罪和种族灭绝”的滔天罪行。
起草这份决议案的英国说，调查小组将为遭受伊斯兰国组织暴行的受害者伸张正义。
美国常驻联合国大使黑利称这份决议草案“具有里程碑意义”，为“伊斯兰国暴行的范围和规模提供不可缺少的记录”。
著名国际人权律师阿迈勒·克鲁尼在脸书视频上说：“对于所有为伊斯兰国罪行的受害者伸张正义的人来说，这都是一个巨大的里程碑。这项决议告诉受害者，他们的声音将被听到，他们终将会有通过法律寻求公正的机会。”
然而，人权观察批评这项决议案错失良机，说安理会本可以全面解决伊拉克冲突参与各方犯下的战争罪和侵犯人权的行径。
人权观察国际司法顾问贾拉说：“没有人否认处理伊斯兰国在伊拉克犯下的广泛暴行非常重要，但忽略伊拉克和国际部队的侵权行为不仅是错误的，而且目光短浅。所有看到亲人被折磨或杀害，房屋被焚毁或炸毁的受害者，伸张正义都是重中之重，不论肇事方是何人。”