ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several Iraqi police officers were sentenced to 10 years in prison and dismissed from service for assaulting a female detainee in southern Iraq, state media reported Monday, as Baghdad’s interior ministry also confirmed the arrest of "a number of individuals" involved in a harassment incident in Baghdad that was caught on video and gone viral on Iraqi social media in recent days.
“The Internal Security Forces Court sentenced an officer, a deputy officer, and three personnel to 10 years in prison and dismissal from service in the case of the assault on a female detainee inside al-Nahdha police station” in the southern Diwaniyah province, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The case first emerged in early August when the perpetrators were “taken into custody pending investigation” under Article 14 of the Internal Security Forces Law which carries “severe penalties” for security personnel involved in violations against detainees, INA had previously reported.
Rudaw's reporter in Diwaniyah, Shko Omar, reported on Wednesday that the woman, identified by her initials D.G., had visited the police station to file a complaint against one of her relatives but was detained after appearing before a judge for changing her statements. During her detention, the 26-year-old was sexually assaulted by police personnel, Omar reported, citing an informed source in the province.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s interior ministry on Monday said “a number” of individuals involved in the “harassment incident that took place in the Mansour quarter [in western Baghdad] and that was caught on video and was circulated on social media” have been arrested after they were tracked down urgently after the video surfaced.
“The accused were detained in accordance with the provisions of Article (402) of the Iraqi Penal Code and referred to the competent authorities to complete the investigation and take the necessary legal measures against them,” the ministry added.
The article in reference governs offenses related to public harassment, indecent advances, and insults to modesty in public spaces.
The arrests followed a video showing a young woman walking in broad daylight on a street in Mansour district as several vehicles trailed her, repeatedly cutting off her path while she scrambled between corners trying to escape. The footage, which ran for several minutes, spread rapidly across Iraqi social media, sparking outrage and demands for swift action.
The incidents come amid growing warnings from rights groups about the dangers women face in Iraq. A 2023 report by the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that “nearly one million women and girls in Iraq are at risk of some form of gender-based violence.”
