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UN: 157 killed in Iraq protests
[Rudaw] At least 157 protesters were killed during the protests which swept Iraq earlier this month, a report published by the Human Rights Office of the United Nationals Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) confirmed on Tuesday. It put the number of injured at 5,494.The report came just hours after the Iraqi government published its own findings, which put the corpse count at 107, the majority of them killed by gunshots to the head and chest. The Iraqi investigative committee confirmed security forces used live ammunition, snipers, and tear gas to target protesters, while some demonstrators used Molotov cocktails against security forces. Protesters in Baghdad told Rudaw English at the height of the violence that snipers were targeting them. The report confirms snipers were stationed in building in both al-Kilani square and near al-Nakhil mall in Baghdad. The report revealed that around 70 percent of the protesters killed during the unrest were shot either in the head or chest ‐ indicating the snipers were shooting to kill. "The majority of the protesters were between the age of 15 and 25," the report said. Mass protests against corruption, unemployment, and the lack of basic services started in Baghdad on October 1, with security forces using live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and sniper rounds to disperse the crowd. Curfews were also imposed on city centers and internet services cut across the country’s south. According to the report, the Iraqi government did not order security forces in any Iraqi province to open fire on protesters with live ammunition. "The order of shooting at protesters or using live ammunition against them did not come from the Iraqi government," the report states, without indicating who gave the order. Some protesters who spoke to Rudaw English on October 6 said an Iran-backed militia called Saraya al- Khorasani fired on them with live ammunition. Saraya al-Khorasani is one of dozens of militias that make up Iraq’s security forces but often act independently or under the radar of official command. The Iraqi committee's report offered a set of recommendations for the government. It called for the sacking of the head of Baghdad Operations Command, the commander of 11 Infantry Division, the head of first Division of Federal Police, and the head of Baghdad Police. Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi established the committee on October 13. Abdul-Mahdi also issued a set of reforms that were focusing on providing jobs and housing for the unemployed and families living in rented accommodation. However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... protesters have vowed to resume their demonstrations on Friday. Posted by: trailing wife 2019-10-23 |
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