Arab Commission for Human Rights, Center for Constitutional Rights,

Center for Development of International Law,

Dominican Leadership Conference, Global Policy Forum,

Human Rights Watch, International Peace Bureau, Iraq Analysis Group,

Justitia Universalis, Middle East Research and Information Project,

New Internationalism Project-Institute for Policy Studies,

Physicians for Human Rights,

Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the Arab World,

Former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq,

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom,

World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy

 To: Security Council Permanent Representatives

March 14, 2006

Dear Ambassador:

On the eve of the Security Council’s quarterly discussion on the situation in Iraq, we are writing to express our urgent concern. In recent weeks, several disturbing reports have been released, including the Secretary General’s quarterly report (March 3, 2006), UNAMI’s bi-monthly report, Amnesty International’s report entitled “Beyond Abu Ghraib: Detention and Torture in Iraq” (March 2006) and Human Rights First’s report on “Detainee Deaths in US Custody in Iraq and Afghanistan”(February 22, 2006).

These reports have highlighted significant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, especially in the area of detention practices. They reveal that thousands of Iraqis, arrested without warrant and classified as “security internees,” continue to be detained by the Multinational Force for lengthy periods without charge or trial and without the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention before a judicial body.

Claiming authority from Security Council Resolution 1546 (2004), the Multinational Force (MNF) continues to detain thousands of Iraqis, in conditions that violate provisions of international law, such as Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions (1949), Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and customary international human rights law.

Many other matters of grave concern arise in Iraq as well – matters which, as you are aware, are widely seen as breaches of international law. Since the Security Council has provided the mandate for the Multinational Force, the Council must assume responsibility for the MNF’s actions.

In the past, the Council has chosen to conduct its review of the MNF on a pro forma basis only. We believe that the time has come for the Security Council to accept its responsibility, to thoroughly discuss these matters in light of international law, to consult with the international community, and to substantially review the mandate it has given to the MNF.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Violette Daguerre

President

Arab Commission for Human Rights

Peter Weiss

Vice-President

Center for Constitutional Rights

Lene Schumacher

Director of Programs

Center for Development of International

Law

Eileen Gannon

Main Representative

Dominican Leadership Conference

James A. Paul

Executive Director

Global Policy Forum

Joe Stork

Deputy Director, Middle East and North

Africa Division

Human Rights Watch

Cora Weiss

President

International Peace Bureau

Rachel Laurence

Senior Researcher

Iraq Analysis Group

Rachid Mesli

President

Justitia Universalis

Chris Toensing

Executive Director

Middle East Research and Information

Project

Phyllis Bennis

Director

New Internationalism Project, Institute

for Policy Studies

Leonard Rubenstein

Executive Director

Physicians for Human Rights

Dr. Haytham Manna

President

Protection of Human Rights Defenders

in the Arab World

Hans von Sponeck

Former UN Humanitarian Coordinator

for Iraq

Susi Snyder

Secretary General

Women International League for Peace

and Freedom

William Pace

Executive Director

World Federalist Movement – Institute

for Global Policy