Yesterday, Friday, 6 human rights organizations condemned campaigns to silence activists in Iraq through killings, kidnappings and arbitrary detentions.
The organizations expressed – in a joint statement – “their grave concern at what human rights defenders, journalists and protesters are exposed to through killings, arbitrary arrests and kidnappings” . Read also Continued threats against Iraqi activists who expressed their point of view via the ClubhouseHuman Rights Watch: The trials of dissidents in Iraqi Kurdistan are flawed and unfair A human rights center records 49 violations against journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan One day after the murder of ‘prominent activist, Iraqi journalist, victim of assassination attempt
The statement – a copy of which was sent to Anadolu Agency – called on “the Iraqi authorities to end all harassment and hold the perpetrators to account”.
He added: “There are concerns about the silencing of human rights defenders and the resulting restrictions on their right to life and security, freedom of expression and association by Iraq. “
The statement also called on the Iraqi government and authorities in the Kurdistan region “that all human rights defenders can carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and without any restrictions, including judicial harassment ”.
There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi government or authorities in the Kurdistan region on the six organizations’ statement.
The organizations are the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint program between FIDH and the World Organization against Torture), the Gulf Center for Human Rights, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights Human Rights, the Metro Center to defend the rights of journalists. , Iraqi Al-Amal Association, Iraqi Network for Community Media, All are non-governmental organizations.
And the popular movement in Iraq started in October 2019 and is still going on in a limited way, and it succeeded in overthrowing the previous government led by Adel Abdul Mahdi.
Protesters accuse the ruling political forces of being involved in financial and political corruption and foreign ties to the detriment of Iraqi interests.
According to the government census, 565 protesters and security personnel were killed during the 2019 protests, among which dozens of activists were murdered by unidentified people.
Mustafa Al-Kazemi’s government – which has been in power since May 2020 – has pledged to prosecute those implicated in the killings of protesters and activists, but no defendants have been brought to justice until present.