Source: Amnesty International –
Six years on from the nationwide protests in October 2019, referred to as Tishreen, Iraqi authorities continue to persecute activists and protestors while failing to deliver meaningful justice and accountability for the killings of hundreds and the maiming of thousands of protesters by security forces and militias or to reveal the fate and whereabouts of those disappeared, Amnesty International said today.
Young people involved in the Tishreen protests were killed, injured and forcibly disappeared by security forces or militias simply for speaking out. Consecutive governments have announced numerous investigative committees to look into these crimes during Tishreen and its aftermath but to date no results have been made public. While at least 2700 criminal cases have been filed, few individuals have been brought to trial, and next to no justice has been delivered, with many sentences overturned.
Six years on it is high time for the Iraqi authorities to break the vicious cycle of impunity.
Razaw Salihy, Amnesty International
Today, entrenched impunity for abuses during the protests has been compounded by an escalating crackdown on civic space, as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are further curtailed. Since 2019, young people involved in the protests have endured exile, disability, job losses, and relentless repression.
Militias and security forces have launched what many describe as a “revenge campaign” against activists, forcing scores into hiding, exile, or prison. Authorities continue to raid activists’ homes without warrants, frequently using violence and harassing family members. At the same time, attacks on freedom of expression are worsening with dozens of arrests made this year as part of the Ministry of Interior’s “indecent content” crackdown.
“It is abominable that six years after the Tishreen protests, Iraqi authorities remain busy hounding and intimidating activists and their families, while those behind the horrific killings, assassinations, and enforced disappearances remain at large. This obliterates prospects for justice, truth, and reparations for crimes under international law committed by security forces and affiliated militias during and after the protests,” said Razaw Salihy, Iraq Researcher at Amnesty International.
“Freedom of expression is under attack from all sides. Activists and protesters risk their lives and their families by speaking out. The authorities must meet the demands they have long promised: justice and an end to the hounding and killing of Iraqis demanding their basic rights.”