Since October 1, 2019, massive demonstrations have taken place across Iraq to protest government corruption, high unemployment, and inadequate government services. These overwhelmingly peaceful protests have been met with brutal repression by state and non-state forces, resulting in more than 400 deaths, more than 15,000 injuries, and countless abductions, disappearances and arbitrary arrests as of the beginning of […]
The Iraqi Government Must Not Arrest Nonviolent Human Rights Defenders in Baghdad
Baghdad, 13 December (first posted) UPDATE: 21 December 2019 Omar and Salman have been released on bail provided by family members. We would like to express an enormous thank you to those who contributed to their release, especially to the Iraqi judiciary, the Human Rights Committee of the Bar Association, the UNAMI Human Rights Office, the […]
Call for the Immediate Release of 2 Activists!
Baghdad Salman Kairallah Al-Mansoori and Omar Kadhem Al-Amri, two Iraqi activists for human and environmental rights, have disappeared in Baghdad since yesterday and are still untraceable. They disappeared at 12 pm when they did not answer the calls of their colleagues, friends and family. The last contact with them was at 11:30, and they confirmed […]
STATEMENT by Human Rights Defenders Human rights defenders and activists were killed, kidnapped and shot at in Iraq on International Human Rights Day and the following day. On the night of 10 December 2019, poet and civil society activist Ali Al-Lami (photo 1), was kidnapped while he was returning to his sister’s house after participating in Al-Tahrir […]
Iraq Is the First Arab Country to Stop Sexual Harassment
SPUTNIK Thousands of girls — alone, in groups, with their classmates and co-workers — walked with pride and strength down a street in Baghdad they never thought they could walk down without encountering verbal or sexual harassment. The popular demonstrations in Iraq have brought about this extraordinary change. After passing through the popular neighborhoods of […]
‘Too Early to be Happy’: Iraq’s Fate Hangs in Balance After PM’s Exit
TRTWORLD Iraqi protesters are concerned whether Prime Minister Mahdi’s replacement will be acceptable to the nation, while experts warn that any bold moves by Iran could lead to further bloodshed or worse. When angry Iraqi protesters took to the streets in early October, they had one clear demand: the complete change of the government rather than so-called […]
Iraq: Abductions Linked to Baghdad Protests, 7 Missing, 2 Known Arrested
Human Rights Watch (Beirut) – At least seven people, including a boy of 16, were reported missing since October 7 from or near Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, where they were participating in ongoing protests in Iraq’s capital, Human Rights Watch said today. Four were still missing as of December 2. The families said they visited police stations […]
Century Ago and Today, Baghdad Street a Front Line in Revolt
The Associated Press – Baghdad When discontented Iraqis sought independence from British occupation in 1920, Baghdad’s most prestigious new boulevard, Rasheed Street, was the theatre of their revolt. Nearly 100 years later, the historic colonnade-lined avenue is a flashpoint in Iraq’s grassroots movement waving the banner of revolution against the country’s political system. Once a […]
We Reject the Arbitrary Restriction of Journalists and Media Institutions
Baghdad – National Union of Journalists The National Initiative in Support of the Nonviolent October Uprising condemns the government’s use of unconstitutional measures to shut down a number of media outlets. The closures have been justified under the pretext that certain media institutions do not comply with the standards and procedures of the Communications and […]
Women in Iraq Defiantly Take to the Streets Despite Fears they ‘Could Die at Any Moment’
Female activists speak in Baghdad about why there are more women protesting than ever before Pesha Magid – Independent As Saba al-Mahdawi left Baghdad’s Tahrir Square after a long day of helping protesters on the frontlines, the teargas started to take its toll. Choking, she was brought back to her friend’s tent. They told her […]
Peaceful Activities Continue Despite Bullets from the Government
The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative 25 November 2019 Since 1 October, peaceful demonstrators have been out on the streets and in public squares in southern and central Iraq calling for their legitimate rights to live lives of peace and prosperity. These nonviolent protestors have been neither recognized nor listened to by the government, instead, […]
International Medics Treat Injured Protesters in Baghdad
REPORT from: Strategic Edge International Reliefweb Strategic Edge medics have been working alongside local medical professionals and volunteers in Baghdad since the last week of October. Our work provides first-hand verification of the types of crowd dispersal methods used by Iraqi riot and security forces against protesters. Proof is demonstrated by the injury patterns of casualties […]