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The allegations that Turkish airstrikes targeted the civilian Sikêniyê Hospital and killed eight people in Sinjar in the Nineveh province of Iraq in 2021 have been made the subject of a formal complaint to the UN Human Rights Council.
The Guardian reported that four claimants, either survivors or witnesses to the airstrikes, say they violated their right to life under international law, as guaranteed by Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The claim to the UN states that the hospital was near a YBS (Sinjar Resistance Units) checkpoint but no armed units directly protected the facility, which was built in a civilian area. The claimants say all eight of those killed were hospital staff members.
First case against Turkey at the UN in relation to the Yazidi people
Further, the claimants allege that Turkey failed to investigate the killing of civilians resulting from the airstrikes and provide victims with effective remedies, constituting a violation of their rights to a prompt, independent, and effective investigation under the same covenant.
While this has been the first case to be brought on the issue of Turkish airstrikes against the Yazidi people, the related complaint has been prepared for the Germany-based non-governmental organization for Yazidi people's rights called 'Women for Justice.'
"There is no lawful excuse for targeting civilians"
Aarif Abraham, the director of the Accountability Unit, a human rights NGO, that supports Women for Justice said, "This is a critically important and symbolic case involving clear-cut violations of the fundamental rights of Yazidi citizens by the Turkish state."
"There is no lawful excuse for targeting a civilian hospital with three successive airstrikes in 30 minutes, killing eight civilians and seriously injuring over 20 others," he added.
"Turkey has long enjoyed impunity"
Abraham believes that the UN Human Rights Committee may help to secure justice.
"Turkey has long enjoyed impunity and the international community's silence for targeting non-Turkish nationals outside its territories on the pretense of targeting terrorists. The Human Rights Committee is the only body which holds the realistic prospect of holding Turkey accountable and providing the victims with meaningful redress," he said.
Ferman: "Turkish airstrikes pose the greatest security risk"
Dr. Leyla Ferman, the chief executive of Women for Justice on the other hand, said: "After the victory over Islamic State in Sinjar, the Turkish airstrikes pose the greatest security risk."
What happened?
In the airstrikes on the Sinjar district of the Nineveh province of Iraq on August 17, 2021, the Sikêniyê Hospital collapsed, eight people were killed and more than 20 people have been injured.
The Ministry of Justice of Turkey asserted that 10 PKK members had been "neutralized" in the airstrikes.
The Sinjar Autonomous Administration Council had, on the other hand, announced that three health personnel one of whom was a doctor, and a total of eight people were killed, three of whom were YBS members. (NT/PE)
