Iraq and the Kurdish regional government have charged hundreds of children with terrorism for alleged affiliation with the Islamic State group, often using torture to coerce confessions, Human Rights Watch says.
In a report released on Wednesday, the New York-based group estimated that Iraqi and Kurdish authorities were holding about 1500 children for alleged IS affiliation in detention at the end of 2018.
The 52-page report entitled "Everyone Must Confess: Abuses against Children Suspected of ISIS Affiliation in Iraq" said the prosecutions are often based on dubious accusations and forced confessions obtained through torture.
The children are then sentenced to prison in hasty and unfair trials, HRW said.
Belkis Wille, senior Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the approach that Iraq has adopted is one that "completely fails" to acknowledge what is commonly understood and reflected in international law, which is that children who were forcibly recruited should be treated as victims, not criminals.
Iraq declared victory against IS in December 2017 after three years of bloody battles that killed tens of thousands and left Iraqi cities in ruins.
The country is grappling with a massive legacy from the fight, which includes thousands of detainees, including children, who are being sentenced in rushed trials.
