Tom Gordon MP: Daesh Genocide Crimes must be Prosecuted

In Parliament last week, Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, called on the Government to ensure that all those involved in committing crimes as part of Daesh, also known as Islamic State, in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2017 are properly prosecuted for their crimes. 

Tom was presenting a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), of which he is a member. Their report on Daesh is calling on the Government to enable British courts to prosecute crimes against humanity, particularly regarding the genocide that targeted the Yazidi community. British courts being able to prosecute for crimes committed overseas, including by non-British citizens, is a principle known as Universal Jurisdiction. 

The report calls on the Government to give British courts all the powers they need to prosecute people for crimes committed overseas, and not to duck the issue by withdrawing citizenship or otherwise preventing the return of those overseas, denying victims true justice in the process. 

Commenting, Tom said: 

“The crimes committed by Daesh in Iraq and Syria against the Yazidi community were horrific, and have been widely recognised as a genocide. The Government must not duck responsibility for prosecuting those crimes through stripping citizenship or refusing to let our courts act. 

“Other countries have already done this, and we must follow suit and allow our courts to fully prosecute these horrific crimes. Sitting on our hands is not an option. No one is above the law.

“There is no excuse for pushing this aside and ignoring it because it’s in the past, or challenging to investigate. Shying away from the challenge would be to abandon those crying out for justice. We must uphold our justice system and ensure that victims get the justice they deserve.”

ENDS