Iraq has asked the United Nations to assist it with gathering evidence of possible "crimes against humanity" committed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
In a letter released on August 16, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari said government forces that have recently liberated Mosul from IS control had found evidence of crimes including mass killings, sexual slavery, and destruction of archeological treasures.
He said Britain was assisting in drafting a resolution for consideration by the UN Security Council to establish the international investigation.
Britain's deputy UN ambassador, Jonathan Allen, confirmed the effort, and said their goal was to "leave no place for Daesh to hide," using an Arabic acronym for IS.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow will support the resolution.
British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who has advocated for Iraq's Yazidi religious minority, which suffered mass killings as well as sexual enslavement by IS, praised the move.
"Yazidis and other ISIS victims want justice in a court of law and they deserve nothing less," she said.
"I hope that the Iraqi government's letter will mark the beginning of the end of impunity for genocide and other crimes that ISIS is committing in Iraq and around the world."
