Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location:
Geneva
Subject: (1)
Yemen
(2)
Mosul mosque and minaret
(1) Yemen
The UN Human Rights Office in Yemen continues to document
reports of civilian casualties as a result of the conflict. Over the past
month, we have been able to verify a total of 49 civilian deaths.
Between 21 May and 6 June, 19 civilians were killed in
Taizz. Witnesses interviewed by the UN Human Rights Office said the victims
were hit by shelling attacks by the Popular committees affiliated with the
Houthis. Twelves shelling incidents reportedly hit 10 civilian neighbourhoods
and two markets. Also on 21 May, seven civilians were killed reportedly as a
result of mortar attacks from areas controlled by fighters affiliated with
Popular Resistance Committees and Army Units loyal to President Hadi.
We have also documented the deaths of at least 23
civilians on 17 June as a result of an airstrike, helicopter attack and
shelling on a house and nearby market area located just a few hundred metres
from the Yemen-Saudi border in Shada District in Sa’ada Governorate.
According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights
Office, the airstrike hit a house on the western side of the marketplace in the
village of Moshnaq at about 12:30 pm on Saturday. Local people told our Yemen
team that the house is used by Qat smugglers as a staging post where they wait
for night-time when they cross into Saudi Arabia and that some 25 people were
believed to be in the house at the time of the strike. Residents said those who
survived the airstrike tried to flee the building but came under machinegun
attack from helicopters that flew over the area some 10 minutes after the
airstrike. Rescuers from neighbouring villages were unable to reach the market
for an hour as shelling reportedly continued.
Interviewees told our Yemen team that there was no prior
warning of the attack.
During the more than two years since the conflict in
Yemen began, marketplaces have been struck a number of times, causing loss of
civilian life.
We recall that indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks
or attacks targeting civilian objects such as markets are prohibited under
international humanitarian law. We remind all parties to the conflict of their
obligation to ensure full respect for international human rights law and
international humanitarian law.
All incidents resulting in civilian casualties,
including the attack on the house in Shada District, must be thoroughly
investigated to ensure accountability when breaches of international law have
been found to have taken place.
The outbreak of cholera has affected eight prisons and
detention centres in six governorates. Some 50 prisoners have contracted
cholera and there are 72 other suspected cases. In the best of circumstances,
prisoners are among the most vulnerable members of society. In the Yemeni
context, this is even more so.
Since March 2015, the UN Human Rights Office has recorded
a total of 13,504 civilian casualties, including 4,971 killed and 8,533
injured.
(2) Mosul mosque and minaret
We condemn the destruction of the al-Nuri Mosque and the
Hadba Minaret in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday 21st June.
Reports indicate that it was blown up deliberately by ISIL as Iraqi
security forces were approaching.
This destruction is the latest in a long line of such
horrendous acts by ISIL, which has targeted landmark religious sites, including
churches, mosques, shrines, tombs and graves.
Such intentional destruction is an attack on the
religious and cultural heritage of the Iraqi people – and the whole world. International humanitarian law clearly
prohibits such acts, and perpetrators who target these objects while being
aware of their religious and historical character may be held accountable for
war crimes, as in the groundbreaking Timbuktu case at the International
Criminal Court.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact
Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Liz Throssell ( +41 22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org ) or
Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org )
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