Ireland

At Baghdad airport in September, at least five children and two women were killed by a rocket apparently aimed at US personnel. Other diplomatic personnel, including a UN convoy, and affiliated institutions in Baghdad and in the governorates of Najaf and Ninewa, were also targeted. No groups claimed responsibility for these attacks.

DEATH PENALTY

Authorities continued to hand down death sentences and at least 50 men convicted of terrorism were executed, according to credible reports.

1. Iraq: Protest death toll surges as security forces resume brutal repression (Press release, 23 January)

2. Iraq: Police arrests teacher and protest organizer: Badal Abdulbaqi

Aba Bakr Barwari (MDE 14/2396/2020)

3. Iraq: Marked for life – displaced Iraqis in cycle of abuse and stigmatization (MDE 14/3318/2020)

4. Iraq: Legacy Of terror: The plight of Yezidi child survivors of Isis (MDE 14/2759/2020)

5. Iraq: Open letter to Iraq's new Prime Minister (MDE 14/2290/2020)

IRELAND

Ireland Head of state: Michael D. Higgins Head of government: Micheál Martin (replaced Leo Varadkar in June)

The government response to COVID-19 raised human rights concerns, including in relation to the right to health, the enactment of emergency legislation without parliamentary oversight, and police use of spit hoods. Increased numbers of people accessed abortion services under the 2018 law, but gaps remained. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture was critical of support available for prisoners with mental health problems. The government committed to replacing the Direct Provision system of shared accommodation for those seeking international protection, and to holding a constitutional referendum on housing.

A parliamentary committee established to review the government’s initial handling of the pandemic − the Special Committee on COVID-19 Response − found it “totally disproportionate” that 56% of all deaths from COVID-19 were in nursing homes for older people. It recommended a public inquiry and noted state over-reliance on institutional care for older people.

It also noted difficulties for those seeking international protection and living in the Direct Provision system of shared accommodation, including challenges of physically distancing and self-isolating, as well as for health care workers living in this system.

It recommended an inquiry into meat processing factories, the source of several outbreaks, with concerns about protection of workers from infection. It noted that workers in this industry were particularly vulnerable to poor working conditions which could exacerbate the risks from COVID-19.

Spit hoods

There were concerns over An Garda Siochána’s (police) deployment of spit hoods to protect police from COVID-19 infection via spitting. This was despite evidence that this device did not prevent aerosol transmission, potentially exacerbating the risk to police and the wider public.1 A particular concern was their use on children and people with mental health problems.

STATE OVERREACH

The Special Committee on COVID-19 Response criticized emergency legislation enabling the government to make regulations without Oireachtas (Parliament) review or approval. It also recommended that all proposed emergency measures be human rights-proofed.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

In June, the first annual report on the 2018 legislation, which expanded lawful access to abortion services, showed 6,666 pregnant