On December 22, Trump granted presidential pardons to a score of people, including four members of the military private company Blackwater who were involved in the assassinations of 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007. One of them, Nicholas Slatten was serving a life sentence.
Those contractors opened fire and launched explosives at a crowd to open the way for a military convoy, killing 14 civilians and injuring 17 people.
The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the pardons, claiming that they 'contribute to impunity and have the effect of encouraging others to commit such crimes in the future'.
The Iraqi Government also criticized the decision for ignoring the seriousness of the crimes committed and the values of human rights, justice and the rule of law, as well as the dignity of the victims and the sentiments of their relatives.
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