The Role of Iraq’s National Centre in Prosecuting ISIS Crimes:

Between International Legal Norms and Islamic Jurisprudence

Luma Fadhil Nayyef

 

Abstract: This note critically examines the institutional and legal role of Iraq’s National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation in the immediate aftermath of the conclusion of the mandate of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD). It explores how this transitional phase reflects a jurisprudential synthesis between international criminal justice mechanisms and Islamic law, with particular emphasis on the documentation of atrocities committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The analysis highlights the Centre’s dual foundations, legal and religious. It assesses how its evolving mandate aims to preserve evidentiary integrity, uphold the rights of victims, and foster meaningful international judicial cooperation.