Iraqi militia lets Instagram followers vote if ISIS prisoners live or die

Verdict is always death.

The Islamic State has used the internet to spread their message. Now, the internet may be deciding the fate of ISIS captives. An Iraqi militia is asking its Instagram followers to decide the fate of its prisoners, life or death.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In a move that blends the ancient Roman coliseum with modern technology, an Iraqi group on Instagram called "iraqiswat" is asking the public what it should do with captured ISIS prisoners.

Pictures of hogtied prisoners are posted to the account, and fans have one hour to vote if the prisoner should be allowed to live, or be put to death.

The organization running the Instagram account seems to be a Shia militia, and their activities could be construed as war crimes if they are harming the prisoners and not detaining them in accord with the law. However, it is unlikely that many people will bother to pursue the vigilantes in the photos, given that there is very little demand to show mercy to ISIS prisoners.

The Instagram account remains live, however some posts have been removed by Instagram since the site's rules forbid the posting of images that depict violence.

It is difficult to determine if the pictures actually show genuine captives and if the votes bear any result, which, unsurprisingly, always results in a death sentence.

On some occasions, the account has claimed known deeds and killings as their own, although authorities know they did not do the killings themselves. The group has been accused of merely posting propaganda and bravado, but little of actual substance. Given the fog of war, it is difficult to determine the veracity of their claims.

Still, there is something cathartic about seeing a captive ISIS fighter and having a say in their fate. We'd like to believe that most people would demand civilized justice, which would include due process, but after nearly two years of senseless atrocities, patience for the judicial process is short and the demand for lex talionis is great.

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