Demonstrations Breakout In Nasiriya As Police Arrest Those Involved In 2019 Protest Movement

On October 18 protests broke out in Nasirya the capitol of Dhi Qar province demanding the release of detainees. Activists said there was a political campaign to arrest people involved in the 2019 protest movement.

 

Two weeks ago Dhi Qar police chief General Najah al-Abadi started an arrest campaign. The Interior Ministry reported that 578 people had been detained in the last few days. Activists accused the ruling parties of being behind this move. This coincided with the five year anniversary of the demonstrations.

 

Protesters demanded that the provincial government fire General Abadi, release all prisoners, and issue an amnesty against any future lawsuits that could lead to new arrests.

 

Nasiriya was one of the centers of the 2019 protests that demanded political reform. A police commander ordered his men to fire into a crowd in the city that killed 65 and wounded dozens more. The officer was never held accountable and was promoted to be president of the Defense University’s postgraduate program for military studies. No one of any standing was ever put on trial for attacking the demonstrators. That was because the Abdul Mahdi government with support from Iran put down the protests using violence.

 

SOURCES

 

Al Aalem, “Dhi Qar: Arrests reopen Tishreen’s wounds, thousands reject “selectivity” and “provocation”, 10/19/24

 

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim, “Clashes break out at protests over arrested activists in southern Iraq,” Associated Press, 10/18/24

 

Asharq Al-Awsat, “Widespread Protests in Southern Iraq over Arrest of Activists,” 10/20/24

 

Knights, Michael, “Exposing and Sanctioning Human Rights Violations by Iraqi Militias,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 10/22/19

 

Al Mada, “Dhi Qar demonstrators give the government 48 hours to implement their demands,” 10/21/24

- “The government reopens the October investigations and activists are not aware of the Coordination Framework: We want a special court,” 2/16/23

 

Reuters, “Exclusive: Iran-backed militias deployed snipers in Iraq protests – sources,” 10/16/19