05/12/2025
Iraqi police specialists receive training in forensic science with a gender perspective to strengthen their operational capabilities in the fight against terrorism.
Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, has hosted a training course designed to strengthen the operational capabilities of Iraqi security units in the fight against terrorism, applying modern methodologies for technical inspection, evidence documentation and comprehensive management of complex crime scenes, always under the principles of respect for human rights and gender mainstreaming.
The training, entitled ‘Technical police inspection of complex crime scenes from a gender mainstreaming approach’, was organised by the European CT Just project in close coordination with the Iraqi authorities. It took place at the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Baghdad, Iraq.
A total of 24 Iraqi professional women participated in the activity, coming from the main security, justice, health and forensic science institutions, as well as the prison administration and academia, comprehensively covering the entire criminal justice chain.
The institutional diversity of this activity not only reinforces the relevance of the training but also demonstrates a real commitment to the coordinated strengthening of national capacities in forensic and scientific policing and a commitment to security and alignment with international standards.
The activity was led by two experts from the Spanish National Police with operational responsibilities in the central crime scene investigation unit of the General Scientific Police Headquarters. The experts provided a highly practical and strategic approach to training and capacity building, in line with the demands of the Iraqi operational context.
In addition, the training included a European perspective with a third international expert linked to a European Union NRBQ (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological and Chemical) project, who provided tools and approaches related to scientific police management in hybrid risk scenarios and unconventional threats, with special reference to the MENA region and the situation in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
The training programme consisted of a theoretical part and practical exercises. The sessions included simulations of complex crime scenes, technical treatment of all types of evidence related to terrorist, ballistic and biological attacks, forensic and scientific photography, as well as analysis of the chain of custody, judicial admissibility of evidence and fundamental rights.
The participants evaluated the module very positively, highlighting its operational usefulness and the quality of the simulation materials provided by the Spanish scientific police, as well as the teaching approach focused on professional practice.
