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Karim Khan in charge of the UN investigation into jihadist crimes in Iraq SABAH ARAR / AFP

A trial of the Islamic State organization in the image of that of Nuremberg after the Second World War in 1945: according to the head of the UN investigation on jihadist crimes is the only way to demystify the ideology of the IS organization and give voice to the victims. A conviction nourished by two years of fieldwork in Iraq. From Baghdad, Karim Khan, contacted by RFI, returned to this question.

RFI : Karim Khan, you have been working for two years in Iraq on ISIS crimes. What is your mission?

Karim Khan : Our mission is first and foremost to gather evidence, but I am convinced that we are not there solely to build archives. Iraq and humanity as a whole need a process similar to that of Nuremberg . This trial was a tool to separate the Germans from the fascist poison and crime that swept Europe and the world. So it helped to differentiate the Nazis, Germans. We need a process of this kind to enforce the right of survivors to justice. That those held responsible should be on the basis of solid evidence and not on speculation and gossip. But there is also a need to separate Daesh and his culprits from the rest of the population, from the Sunni community. Because if we do not put an end to this collective responsibility, we continue this cycle of violence that will never end.

At the heart of this cycle of violence, many NGOs denounce the abuses carried out by the Iraqi forces against the Sunni populations accused of collaboration. They also claim that several thousand civilians were killed by the coalition bombing. Would this justice process that you advise to put in place come back to the actions of each actor?

Unlike other actors, the Islamic State organization represents a threat to peace and international security from the perspective of the UN Security Council. This does not grant immunity to other groups. But our team focuses solely and unquestionably on Daesh. That's what the [Security] Council asked me very clearly and that's what we're going to focus on.

But then how to organize this trial around the crimes committed by the Islamic State organization?

A process such as Nuremberg can take various forms. What I mean above all else is the victory of the rule of law, the right of every community to see the crimes committed against them punished. It is also the idea that some crimes are so monstrous that they are imprescriptible. The vagueness of the conflicts must not prevent the law from being applied clearly and according to international rules. That's why we turn to all available courts.

Unfortunately, some countries, such as France, refuse even to repatriate the children of French jihadists. It is difficult to imagine them investing in such a process?

We work on the basis of the sovereignty of each state, Iraq and others. States must decide how to handle the problem. I do not represent the Security Council. I did not create my mission. Our job is to build strong cases that will allow each court that cooperates with us to analyze that evidence in accordance with international standards and to determine the guilt or innocence of individuals. But we need a collective effort so that the evidence does not stay in the dust and is used in trials. The rule of law is the basis of the stability of any society and it must be defended properly. That's what my team is working on. She works hard and with her own resources.