The crime of enforced disappearance is considered one of the crimes stipulated by international humanitarian law. It is classified as a crime against humanity. In this crime, the dignity and freedom of the individual are violated without any legal justification. Moreover, families of those forcibly disappeared endure prolonged suffering.
The gravity of enforced disappearance lies in its complicated violation. Cases of enforced disappearance, as documented by the Association of Abductees’ Mothers, are rarely devoid of psychological and physical torture inflicted upon the disappeared individuals. This crime also infringes upon their privacy and the privacy of their families. Instances include home invasions and the terrorization of children and women, which all contribute to the psychological impact this event leaves on their minds.
The forcibly disappeared individuals endure numerous challenges during and after their period of disappearance. In a survey conducted by the Association among a random sample of the survivors, the revealed findings are as follows:
- 55% have become inclined towards isolation and introspection.
- 47% have experienced depression.
- 47% feel constant fear and believe they are being monitored from somewhere.
- 30% avoid participating in any social occasions.
- 38% are afraid of closed doors.
- 30% develop aggressive feelings due to a lack of appreciation for their sacrifices.
- 72% have felt humiliation, insult, and frustration during their period of disappearance.
- 58% suffer from psychological pressures.
- 50% experience sleep disorder.
- 58% have become more tense and irritable.
- 55% feel helplessness and weakness.
- 75% have felt extreme anxiety for their families during the period of disappearance.
- 44% have lost the sense of pleasure and amusement.
Abdul Aziz Al-Hattami, a survivor, recounts, “The period of disappearance was the most challenging phase we endured throughout the abduction. We were confined in solitary cells located on the underground floor of the prison, devoid of ventilation, barely a meter and a half in size. Detention places are infested with insects, without space for sleep, lacking proper nutrition or healthcare, and restricted restroom access – only thrice every 24 hours.
Interrogation was followed, with false charges pressed against us. We were subjected to severe forms of torture including beating, hanging, blindfolding, and extended handcuffing. We were further subjected to verbal abuse and profanity, and communication with our families was cut off. We were treated as if we were deceased, leaving our families to endure extortion, threats, and humiliation while searching for us.
Ibrahim Al-Khazraji adds, “The best I can say about that period is “Thank God I am a survivor.” Enforced disappearance is an unorganized war, requiring minimal effort from the perpetrator. You are cast into those abysses, setting the stage for your journey through the flames of the brutal war that you’re about to wage against yourself.”
Here, the role of the cruel executioner will come to an end. Despite the methods of torture, he appears in your eyes as naive and insignificant, unable to unleash his horror upon you, leaving you unaffected! For there are things that preoccupy you, things even more intense and severe than his cruelty. It’s your internal battle between a troubled heart and a raging mind! A war of thoughts that escalates silently within a suffocating cell, where a deadly calm and savage silence prevail. Here, you witness your fellow inmates falling victim to their own illusions, their voices reduced to nothing more than mournful sighs.
However, Mushataq Al-Faqih”, another survivor, recalls, “I never imagined or came to my mind that I would be imprisoned and my freedom restricted. I’m a young man with no legal infractions and no enemies. I can’t bear two hours of imprisonment, let alone ten grueling months! I was arrested and held in a shop for two days, then transferred to Al-Saleh Prison. I spent a week surrounded by insane detainees, unable to comprehend what was happening. Despite that, what truly tormented me was my mother, father, wife, and siblings – their suffering haunted me! Alongside the psychological and physical torture of prison, this agonizing thought consumed me.”
Forced disappearance results in the loss of many forcibly disappeared individuals’ jobs and exposes their businesses to losses and bankruptcy. It leads to the accumulation of home rents, and school and university fees, along with an inability to afford the costs of medical treatment and healthcare for their families. Additionally, families of those forcibly disappeared experience psychological traumas.
Local and international laws and tribal customs criminalize the violation of human freedom, abduction, forced disappearance, and subjecting individuals to torture. The Association of Abductees’ Mothers calls on all parties to immediately release all abductees, detainees, and those forcibly disappeared, and to hold those responsible for these violations accountable.