Iraq protests explained

Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters (Feb 6, 2020)

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, hundreds of protestors took to the streets in Baghdad, Iraq, protesting the rise in targeted killings of anti-government activists and journalists. What started as a largely peaceful demonstration in Tahrir Square quickly became violent as Iraqi security forces used tear gas and fired live rounds in the air to disperse the protestors. In retaliation, the protestors hurled stones and bricks at the security forces. As a result of the clashes, dozens were injured and one protester was shot, who later died in the hospital. 

But why did these protests begin in the first place?

On May 9, 2021, activist and key organiser of the October 2019 anti-government protests, Ihab Jawad al-Wazni was killed by gunmen in front of his home in Karbala, Iraq. Protestors demanded accountability from the government, giving it two weeks to name and bring his killers to justice. Many activists and demonstrators believe Iran-backed militias to be the perpetrators. Because the Iraqi government failed to publicly identify or arrest any suspects within this time frame, these fresh protests erupted on the 25th. 

Anti-government protests are not news in Iraq. In 2011, protests broke out in various provinces denouncing corruption and nepotism and demanding better services and wages. Protestors faced suppression by excessive force, police brutality and arrests. Similarly, since October 2019, demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and civil disobedience have begun as the people were disappointed and angered by the high unemployment rates, government incompetence, and lack of accountability, among other things. Over 500 people were killed as armed forces used live ammunition, tear canisters and hot water to disperse the crowds. Following this, the government imposed a curfew and an internet shutdown. The Human Rights Watch condemned the use of excessive lethal force by the security forces and denounced authorities’ interference in media.

The 2019 protests led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi in November that year, bringing the Mustafa al-Kadhimi-led government to power.

al-Wazni’s murder this year was not an isolated incident. In July last year, leading security analyst and expert on armed groups Dr Hisham al-Hashimi was murdered by unknown gunmen in Baghdad. On May 10 this year, Ahmad Hassan, a television reporter for Alforat TV, was shot in the head. He survived the attack and is now recovering after undergoing brain surgery. 

That brings the number up to nearly 35 activists having been killed and about 82 documented attempted killings since October 2019, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR). It has also warned of "a new wave of targeting and assassinating activists, journalists, and opinion makers".This has created a looming fear among those critical of the government, causing many of them to leave the country and seek refuge elsewhere. Belkis Wille, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that those that are still living at home have been silenced because they fear that speaking out could cost them their lives.

But there has been some much-needed progress. On May 26, the Iraqi government arrested Qassim Mahmoud Musleh, a commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces or PMF, on the charges of corruption and complicity in the assassinations of Ihab al-Wazni and another activist in Karbala. Does this mean some law and order is settling into the country? Only time will tell.

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