'Blind revenge'

DW: Ms. Rovera, you went to Iraq where you documented a new wave of violence of Shiite militias targeting Sunnis. Is this a war of revenge against extremists of the Sunni 'Islamic State' (IS)?

Rovera Donatella: Yes, the Shi'a militias which have existed for many years and which used to target American and coalition forces have now turned their guns on Sunni men - not necessarily Sunni men who have anything to do with IS and have committed crimes, but just any Sunni men. It is a sectarian fight which takes us back to the situation as it was in 2006 or 2007 when the war between Sunnis and Shi'a was at its height.

So, the rise of IS has actually strengthened Shiite militias?

Very much so. They are the ones who are at the forefront in the fight against the so-called 'Islamic State,' given the fact the Iraqi army has literally dissolved in the face of the attacks by IS. But they are also at the forefront of blind revenge violence, which is purely sectarian and which has nothing to do with fighting Jihadi groups.

You also documented many abductions of Sunni men who where kidnapped for ransom. Is the violence not only motivated by sectarian conflict, but also by greed?

These militias also operate just as ordinary criminal groups. In some cases, they are targeting Sunni men with every intention of killing them. But before they kill them, they force their families to pay quite large sums of money - up to one hundred thousand dollars. And the families pay in the hope that this will secure their relative's release - and then they kill them. In other cases, they are motivated by greed and pursue purely a criminal enterprise where they extort money from people, sometimes also from non-Sunni communities. But their main targets are Sunnis.

You spoke to many of these families. How did you manage to do so in such a dangerous environment?

It was difficult to find these families and to convince them to speak to me on condition of anonymity. Many of the families I have spoken to have actually left their homes, and they are living in hiding because they are so scared.

And what about your own security?

Yes, that is also part of the equation. Until now, the Shi'a militias have been targeting Sunnis, and they have not focused on foreign journalists or aid workers. And in any case I was meeting people in a very discreet manner.

Where in the country are the hotspots of this Shiite militia violence?

These militias are present in all the areas controlled by the government. Many of them come from Karbala, Najaf - areas where there are no Sunnis. And they operate mostly in mixed cities, the areas where Shi'a and Sunnis live. The capital Baghdad, the oil-rich town of Kirkuk, or Samara and Tikrit - and especially areas that are close to the IS frontline.

What are the authorities in Baghdad doing to curb this violence in areas it controls?

They are doing absolutely nothing to curb the power of these militias. On the contrary. They are doing everything to strengthen the power of these militias. Especially the previous government of Nuri al-Maliki, which was especially sectarian. Now, we have a new government in Baghdad that is not even complete. Prime minister Haider al-Abadi has said that he wants to heal sectarian rifts. And we will see whether or not he means what he says and whether or not he is able to do it.

But up until now, you would say that the Iraqi government is involved in war crimes?

Absolutely. The widespread crimes of abductions and summary killings happen with the knowledge and cooperation of government forces.

How can these crimes of Shiite militias be prevented without, at the same time, further strengthening the Sunni extremists of the 'Islamic State'?

The reason for the woes that Iraq has been suffering in recent months, including the rise of the 'Islamic State,' have been partly due to the Sunni population feeling disenfranchised and marginalized by a very sectarian Shi'a regime. The only solution is to have armed forces that are non-sectarian - that are there to defend and hold accountable all the citizens from all sectors of the population.

Donatella Rovera is Amnesty International's Senior Crisis Response Adviser.