Violations of private security companies and their crimes against international humanitarian law and human rights - Iraq as a model

Doi:https://doi.org/10.37940/JRLS.2022.3.2.8

Abstract

National and international laws and regulations have been enacted in order to protect and care for human beings and to preserve their rights, and not to infringe upon them, regardless of their religious and national affiliation, regardless of color, gender or race. As a result of the development of methods of killing and armed conflicts and the end of the cold war in the early nineties of the last century, states and their regular armies are no longer the only ones in the armed arena, as military and private companies have appeared on the international scene, which provide their security and logistical services to states in according to contracts between them.

     However, these companies have been involved in performing essential security tasks during armed conflicts, and this involvement includes the protection of individuals and military equipment, training the armed forces, providing the security services with information, maintaining weapons, and questioning suspects or prisoners. Companies deny their role in armed conflicts and their strict violations of the rules of international humanitarian law. Our country, the country of Mesopotamia (Iraq), was the scene of most of these companies, raising many questions and problems on the security and legal levels.