UNAMI Human Rights Reports 70 Casualties in Iraqi Protests

The UNAMI Human Rights in Iraq announced on Tuesday that  70 protesters  or security forces were injured in the previous two days during mass gatherings marking the one year anniversary of an ongoing protest movement against institutional corruption, poor public services, and a low standard of living.

Hundreds of demonstrators across central and southern Iraq have been killed by security forces and Iran-backed militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) since October 2019, when the current protest movement over institutional corruption, poor services, and a low standard of living.

Although the number of Iraqis taking to the streets has dwindled in recent months, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, tens of thousands turned out again beginning on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the mainly youth-led movement that led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and his cabinet in November.

The findings of the commission's Tuesday statement gathered through its monitoring teams in Baghdad listed the questionable use of tear gas and percussion grenades by security forces, the injury of 13 protesters by riot police using sticks and batons, and eight casualties among various security forces caused by the relatively small percentage of protestors who resorted to violence, including throwing stones or Molotov cocktails.

It also mentioned "the injury of 15 members of the security forces in Karbala province as well as the injury of 22 members and 12 demonstrators in the province of Babel."

The body called on "all parties to use utmost restraint and avoid clashes," and for demonstrators to "preserve the peacefulness of the demonstrations and to keep the rioters out, especially those who try to pert the demonstrations from their course, and to also remain within the accepted protest areas."