§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people they estimate have been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under recent Iraqi legislation prescribing amputation, mutilation or execution for theft, desertion or evasion of military service; how many doctors they estimate have been compelled to inflict these penalties, and what assessment they have made of the diversion of medical and other health professional resources from humanitarian work occasioned by the use of these punishments.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe condemn the cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments meted out to Iraqi Army deserters under recent legislation, and deplore the fact that medical staff have been forced to participate. No statistics are available for the number of punishments inflicted.
We continue to press Iraq to implement all relevant Security Council Resolutions, including Resolution 688, which calls on Iraq to cease repression of its civilian population.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have about the political killings in Iraq, and in particular the use of staged road accidents, and what information they have about the confiscation of properties belonging to the Al-Khoei Foundation.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iraq, dated 8 November 1994, concludes that Iraq has a long history of terrorist activity, including political killings.
The rapporteur cites the death of Mohammed Taqi al-Khoei in a car accident on 21 July 1994, after several threats had been made against Mr. al-Khoei's life. The rapporteur has requested that the Government of Iraq investigate the incident, but has received no reply.
The rapporteur has received information that 43 houses belonging to the Al-Khoei Foundation have been sequestered by the Government of Iraq.
I am arranging for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Marsh Arabs they estimate have been evicted from their homes by the armed forces of Saddam Hussain; how many are estimated to have been killed in attacks by those armed forces, or to have died from illnesses and deprivation related to the destruction of their habitat, and how many have been obliged to seek asylum in Iran.
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§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyRestrictions imposed by the Government of Iraq on access to the Marsh area prevent the collation of accurate statistics on the persecution of the Marsh Arabs. However, we estimate that there are 50,000 Iraqi refugees in south-west Iran.
The latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iraq, dated 8 November 1994, contains details on the situation of the Marsh Arabs. I am arranging for a copy of that report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Iraq, Mr. Max van der Stoel, in ascertaining the fate of 609 Kuwaitis who disappeared during the Iraqi occupation.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iraq, dated 8 November 1994, concludes that many persons disappeared during or subsequent to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and that Iraq has failed, in a number of respects, to meet its obligations.
The report notes that Iraq has attended the last two meetings of the Tripartite Commission, a development the Special Rapporteur hopes will continue.
A copy of the report will be placed in the Libraries of the House.