A/HRC/34/53/Add.1 Shabaks 36. The Shabak largely live in the Ninewa plains region and are thought to number between 200,000 and 500,000. While recognized as a distinct ethnic group in Iraq since 1952, Kurdish authorities consider them to be of Kurdish ethnicity. Representatives described a history of violations and atrocities under different regimes, most recently ISIL since 2014. Leaders stated that some 1,500 Shabaks had been killed between 2004 and 2014. According to non-governmental organizations, targeted violence against the community has continued since 2014. On 23 April 2014, a car bomb exploded in the Shabak village of Baybukh in Ninewa, killing 13 people and injuring 24 others. On 6 June 2014, at least 13 Shabaks were killed and more than 40 wounded when two car bombs were set off in Tahrawa village, near Mosul.7 37. Shabak properties in Mosul were marked with an Arabic “R” to signify “Rafida”, a term ISIL used to designate Shia Muslims and others who have “rejected” its interpretation of Islam. Shabaks who refused to comply with ISIL orders were reportedly executed. By August 2014, an estimated 60 Shabak villages were under ISIL control, with reports of massacres and kidnappings of Shabak civilians. Leaders stated that 7,000 Shabak internally displaced families had fled Mosul following its fall. They expressed frustration that little attention was being paid to the suffering of the Shabaks. They stated that “random bombardment” against ISIL had left little to return to once their areas were liberated. They called for a separate autonomous area, and noted concerns that after the liberation of Mosul their situation might be even harsher. One representative of the Shabak stated: “As a Shabak, I don’t feel like I am part of Iraq”. Sabea-Mandeans 38. The Sabea-Mandeans are one of the smallest religious communities in Iraq, with estimates suggesting fewer than 5,000 members; their language, culture and religion are thought to be at risk of extinction in Iraq. Some reports suggest that since the outbreak of violence in 2003, the majority of Sabea-Mandeans have left the country while an unspecified number have been killed. They have faced violence by both Shia and Sunni Islamic groups and continue to be actively targeted. Numerous attacks have taken place against community members, their property and places of worship, including targeted killings of individuals. 39. Sabea-Mandeans have fled ISIL-controlled areas and became internally displaced, since they are not considered by ISIL to be “People of the Book” and therefore do not have the option of paying protection money like the Christians. They fear that remaining in ISILcontrolled areas will mean either forced conversion or death. Many are thought to have left the country. Turkmen 40. Turkmen constitute the third-largest ethnic group in Iraq, after Arabs and Kurds, with community representatives claiming a population of up to 2 million. They are comprised of both Sunni and Shia communities. They have historically lived in the north of Iraq, including in Tal Afar, Mosul, Erbil, Diyala and Kirkuk. Turkmen claim to have historically faced violence and intimidation from all sides, including the central Government, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Sunni and Shia militias. They noted historic denial of their cultural, linguistic and political rights and expressed fear for the future and the erosion of Turkmen culture and traditions. 7 See http://minorityrights.org/minorities/shabak/. 11