Irak makes steady progress on security and justice commitment

Iraq is working to consolidate and strengthen its security and justice sector and is doing so thanks to the counter-terrorism training and capacity building scheme of the European CT-Just project, which works closely with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and judicial institutions.

The third activity on forensic science in counter-terrorism has been carried out and focused on the management of complex crime scenes in terrorist contexts. The activity, given by specialists from the Spanish National Police and the Italian Carabinieri Corps, brought together 47 specialists from the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior.

During this third week, police content was covered in depth within the framework of the identification and collection of evidence at complex crime scenes, advanced bloodstain pattern analysis, and disaster victim identification (DVI). The activity has given participants the opportunity to apply advanced techniques in simulations and case studies from both a theoretical and practical perspective.

This five-week Forensic Science Module is part of the continued commitment of CT-Just and the European Union to Iraq, a message underlined during the opening speech by Isabel Candela, Deputy Head of the European Commission’s Global and Trans-Regional Threats and Challenges Unit, who stressed that ‘CT-Just has succeeded in consolidating a comprehensive approach that strengthens both security and justice in Iraq’. Candela, together with other authorities such as the Ambassador of the European Union in Iraq, Thomas Seiler, and the Head of Mission of EUAM-Iraq, Anders Wiberg, reaffirmed that this project is fundamental to improve the operational capacity of the Iraqi forces in the fight against terrorism; among other authorities, the presence of the EU ACT2 project manager at the FIIAPP and the representative of the counter-terrorism division of the European Union’s External Service was also highlighted.

This activity reinforced international collaboration and took another step forward in strengthening the capabilities of the Iraqi forces. With each module, CT-Just reaffirms its mission to ensure effective justice and solid security for the future of Iraq.