The United Nation has issued a statement condemning the Islamic State for the alleged massacre of 670 Shia inmates at the Badoush Prison. Located in Mosul, the Badoush Prison held approximately 3,000 inmates before its capture by the Islamic State on June 10th. However, almost half of the inmates successfully escaped the prison when the Iraqi Army fled Mosul, leaving the Badoush Prison unguarded.
According to the report from the United Nations, the Islamic State entered Badoush Prison on June 10th and asked all inmates for identification. Upon verification, the I.S. fighters organized the prisoners by their religious denomination, with the Sunni on one side and the Shia on the other. The Islamic State fighters assured the prisoners that they would be freed upon the verification of their identities.
Following the interrogation of prisoners by having them recite Islamic prayers and the origins of their families, the Islamic State fighters escorted the Shia prisoners into trucks and had them number themselves. After reaching the last man, the Islamic State militants transported the prisoners approximately 3km into a deserted area.
The prisoners were asked to step out of the vehicles and line-up side-by-side in four rows. Once the prisoners remained still, Islamic State militants opened fire on the Shia prisoners, summarily killing all 670 men.
The report released by the U.N. indicates that many of the Sunni prisoners were released after swearing an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State. Many of the Sunni prisoners were used as sources for the massacre at Badoush Prison, as they detailed the chilling mass murder of the 670 men.
The U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called the massacre of the prisoners a “grave, horrific human rights violation.” She furthered stated that the Islamic State has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the massacre.