
The Iraqi
government has stepped up its violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators,
including human rights defenders and other activists, as the campaign of mass arrests
and fatal attacks continues. Meanwhile, the Internet has been repeatedly shut
down, and a number of journalists and bloggers have received direct threats
ordering them to refrain from covering peaceful demonstrations, which started
on 01 October 2019. The undersigned organisations call on the Iraqi authorities
to immediately end violence and reprisals against protestors, and uphold the rights
to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
In an
attempt to break up peaceful sit-ins in the capital Baghdad, Basra and other
central and southern Iraqi cities, security forces have used live bullets, tear
gas, and sound bombs against demonstrators. In addition, unidentified armed
groups have killed and abducted civil society activists.
The latest
reliable reports from rights groups in Baghdad and Basra confirmed that since
07 November, the authorities have been using heavy tear gas cannisters, smoke
grenades and sound bombs for crowd control, followed by live ammunition to
target protesters, including high school and university students and other
unarmed citizens holding only the Iraqi flag. In Basra, the authorities used
shotguns to fire iron pellets against protesters. The authorities also burned protesters’
tents and targeted medical teams in various cities. These violent actions resulted
in large numbers of demonstrators being killed or injured across the country.
On 06 November 2019, late at night, prominent writer and civil activist Amjad Al-Dahamat (pictured on the top right) was assassinated by an unidentified armed group driving a black car without numbers using pistols with silencers. The murder took place just 500 metres from the Headquarters of the Police Command in Al-Amarah city, after Al-Dahamat attended a meeting with the Police Commander together with several activists. Civil society activist Bassam Mehdi, who accompanied Al-Dahamat, was reported to have been seriously injured in the armed attack.
Al-Dahamat,
who is considered one of the most important leaders of the popular
demonstrations in Maysan governorate, has trained thousands of young people in
his area on how to volunteer for civil work and contributed effectively to all
the protests that took place in the governorate. In one of his last published
articles, he stated, "It is up to the youth themselves. Yes, no one will
give you anything. You have to take it for yourself, beginning with your
slogans: ‘We want a homeland’, and ‘I came down to take my rights.’"
Also on the
night of 06 November 2019, physician Abbas Ali was killed in Baghdad
when a member of the Riot Police Force, shot at him, and a bullet penetrated
his chest. The murder occurred near the Martyrs' Bridge in Baghdad as he tried to reach wounded demonstrators
in this area to give them urgent treatment. He was taken to hospital by Tuk
Tuks drivers, who have been hailed as heroes for using their vehicles as
ambulances, but he died on the road. A video has emerged showing his colleagues raising his
stained white medical jacket and offering respect for his dedication to the
work.
On the
evening of 07 November 2019, a member of the security forces in civilian
clothes abducted journalist and civil society activist Ali Hashim and
took him to an unknown destination. Hashim participated actively in the
demonstrations of Tahrir Square in Baghdad and published several photos on his
Facebook account about his participation in peaceful demonstrations. He
participated in previous protests and was arrested and tortured after taking
part in the 2015 demonstrations.
Also, on 07
November 2019, civil society activist Hussain Al-Kaabi was arrested by
security forces at a protest in the Al-Rifai district in Dhi Qar Governorate,
for leading protests, and inviting citizens to participate.
On 02
November 2019, civil society activist and paramedic Saba Al-Mahdawi
(pictured on the top left) was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on her way home
from Tahrir Square in Baghdad. Reliable reports confirmed that she was
kidnapped before arriving home, and there was no contact with her after 11:15
pm. Al-Mahdawi, who works for a private sector company, volunteered as a
paramedic in Tahrir Square to help wounded protesters.
A month
before, on 07 October 2019, at 7:15 pm, civilian activist and physician Maytham
Mohammed Al-Helo was kidnapped as he left his clinic in the fourth police
district, west of Baghdad, by an undefined armed group in a four-wheel drive
vehicle with tinted windows, who took him to an unknown destination. He was only released on 24 October 2019.
Also, on 07 October 2019, human
rights lawyer Ali Jaseb Hattab was kidnapped
in the city of Al-Amarah in Maysan Governorate, southern Iraq, by a group of
armed men who surrounded his private car, removed him by force and took him to
an unknown destination.
There have
been credible reports that several other civil society activists in Baghdad and
the rest of the cities where protests are happening have been kidnapped by
unknown armed groups. In addition, a number of released
human rights defenders and activists confirmed that they were subjected to
torture and severe beatings and forced to sign pledges not to participate in
peaceful demonstrations.
We the undersigned strongly protest the arbitrary measures taken by the
Iraqi authorities to summon some demonstrators under the Anti-Terrorism Law, in
addition to threats made to dismiss state employees from their jobs or suspend
students for participating in demonstrations.
Preliminary
statistics indicate that around 300 protesters have been killed and 14,000
injured since 01 October 2019, when popular protests began, up until 08 November
2019, that were caused solely due to the use of excessive force by security
forces, riot police and armed groups against peaceful demonstrators.
Reliable
sources reported that, on some occasions, Forensic Medical Departments in
various areas, including Karbala, have refused to hand over the bodies of
protesters unless their families signed a declaration that the government is
not responsible for the killing. Families who did not sign have yet to receive the
bodies of their loved ones.
Last week,
the authorities completely shut down the Internet starting in the afternoon on
05 November 2019 and returned it on 07 November 2019 for
just one hour. The Internet has been repeatedly cut off for long periods of
time during recent days in an effort to prevent journalists and human rights
organisations from circulating news of violations and the grave acts committed
by the authorities against civilians in sit-ins in various parts of the country.
The blockage also prevents protesters from communicating with each other and
organising protests and peaceful movements. Social networking sites have been
mostly blocked for 45 days since the beginning of the protests.
Broadcast
media have been affected as well. In addition, broadcast media have been
attacked. On 05 October, armed groups stormed satellite TV Channels, Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath, Dijlah and NRT Arabic.
Local
sources confirmed that security forces used expired tear gas and heavier
teargas cannisters not normally used for crowd control against demonstrators, in
addition to firing directly and deliberately at the heads of demonstrators with
heavy teargas cannisters and smoke grenades, maiming or killing them
immediately. Based on testimonies from the field, some of the cannisters
contain unusual gases which leave protesters breathless and losing
consciousness, in need of intensive medical treatment.
The
undersigned organisations strongly condemn the excessive use of force by the
Iraqi authorities, including live bullets, expired tear gas or smoke grenades
against peaceful people, and demand that they cease all violence immediately
and protect peaceful demonstrators throughout the country in a transparent and
serious manner. The Iraqi authorities must uphold the country’s international
obligation to protect the right to life of its citizens, among other human
rights, including by addressing the recommendations of Iraq’s Universal
Periodic Review (UPR), which took place at the United Nations on 11 November
2019.
The undersigned organisations call upon the
Iraqi government to immediately and unconditionally:
Signatories:
Access Now
Arabic Network
for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)
Article 19
Cairo Institute
for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
Ceasefire Centre for Civil Rights
CIVICUS
Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
International Federation for Human Rights FIDH
International Media Support (IMS)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Iraqi Al-Amal
Association
Iraqi Network
for Social Media (INSM)
Iraqi
Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR)
Iraqi Women Network
Metro Center
for Journalists' Rights and Advocacy
PEN Center in Iraq
PEN International
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