Watchdog

An Iraqi government-backed militia has killed execution-style at least four men suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

The New York-based rights watchdog quoted residents of the Shayalat al-Imam village, some 70 kilometers south of Mosul, as saying the killings took place on November 29 amid a military operation to retake the northern city from the IS group.

Members of the Iraqi security forces were present for at least one killing but did not attempt to intervene, a December 18 statement said.

It said the men were killed by members of the Hashad al-Jabur militia "without any judicial proceeding," adding that the murder of prisoners in a conflict is a war crime.

The militia is made up of Sunni Arab tribal fighters and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mainly Shi’ite militias that play a role in fighting IS militants.

The militias have been repeatedly accused of carrying out abuses.

Moscow city authorities have refused to allow human rights activists to stage a protest in front of Turkmenistan's embassy on December 19 in support of jailed Turkmen journalists.

The Memorial Human Rights Center said on December 16 that city officials justified their refusal by saying the protest could affect "heavy public transport flow" in the area close to the embassy.

Memorial says the refusal was politically motivated.

An application to conduct the protest was filed by Memorial activist Bakhrom Khamroyev, who is originally from Uzbekistan.

The idea to stage the demonstration was initiated by the Association of Central Asian Political Immigrants in Russia after authorities in Turkmenistan on December 3 arrested 27-year-old RFE/RL correspondent Khudayberdy Allashov on charges of illegal possession of chewing tobacco.

The United States, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and RFE/RL have all called on Turkmenistan to immediately release Allashov.