Belkis Wille
Belkis Wille is an associate director in the Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division at Human Rights Watch. Since 2022, she has been documenting laws of war violations in Gaza, Israel, Sudan, and Ukraine. Belkis has also spearheaded the organization’s work investigating the harms stemming from personal data collection, including biometrics, in humanitarian contexts. This work has included investigations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Jordan, and Kenya. She has also led the organization’s work on the preservation of content taken down by social media platforms that is vital to war crimes investigations.
Belkis was previously Human Rights Watch’s senior Iraq researcher for three-and-a half years, and its Kuwait, Qatar, and Yemen researcher, based in Sanaa, for over three years.
Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Belkis worked with the World Organisation Against Torture in Libya. She has an LLM in human rights and humanitarian law from the University of Essex, a graduate diploma in law from City University London, and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. Belkis speaks English, German, French, and Arabic.
Articles Authored
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March 10, 2022
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February 24, 2022
Senior Military Officer Accused of Crackdown on Protesters in Iraq
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December 2, 2021
Is There Rule of Law in Iraq?
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October 20, 2021
Iraq’s Electoral Commission Failed People with Disabilities
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October 5, 2021
Ensuring All Iraqis with Disabilities Are Able to Vote
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February 8, 2021
Mass Grave Discovery Highlights Iraq’s Impunity Gap for Grave Crimes
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December 17, 2020
Why Are Russians Paying for Bombing Schools in Syria?
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December 15, 2020
Despite Prime Minister’s Promises, Disappearances Continue in Iraq
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October 20, 2020
When Will Iraq Start Protecting Journalists?
Reports Authored
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“The Massalit Will Not Come Home”
Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan
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“We Had No Choice”
“Filtration” and the Crime of Forcibly Transferring Ukrainian Civilians to Russia
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“No One Represents Us”
Lack of Access to Political Participation for People With Disabilities in Iraq
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“Life Without a Father is Meaningless”
Arbitrary Arrests and Enforced Disappearances in Iraq 2014-2017