ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s highest judicial authority said Monday it would take legal measures against those who killed and wounded protesters, hours after Iraq’s military vowed to hold security personnel using “excessive force” accountable. With Iraq’s protests over corruption, unemployment, nepotism, and a lack of basic services appearing to slow down, the Supreme Judiciary Council said after a Monday meeting that it would undertake legal measures against those suspected of use of excessive force. “Participants of the meeting discussed the necessity to undertake legal measures against whoever attacked protesters and caused the martyrdom and injury of a number of them,” according to a council statement. Over 100 people are believed to have been killed and several thousand injured over the course of the nationwide protests. Security forces have used live ammunition rounds and tear gas against protesters. With hundreds of protesters still in detention, the council said it was important to “differentiate” between peaceful demonstrators and rioters who attacked public property. The council’s announcement came as Iraq’s military admitted for the first time Monday it had used “excessive force” in nearly a week of deadly protests. “Excessive force outside the rules of engagement was used and we have begun to hold accountable those commanding officers who carried out these wrong acts,” the military said. It said Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi had ordered those forces to be replaced with federal police units and the intelligence services to open an investigation into the incident. It was the first time since protests broke out that security forces acknowledged using disproportionate measures, after the premier insisted they had been acting “within international standards” in dealing with demonstrations. The judges also announced they would take action against the ransacking of local and regional media offices by “masked gunmen.” “[The participants also agreed] to undertake legal measures against attackers of the offices of satellite channels and emphasizing the right of freedom of expression, coverage of news for local and international public for facts as they are without any fabrication,” the statement added. The council said it would also look into cases of “integrity and administrative corruption,” one of the main sources of protester anger. It had been given a large share of the responsibility to tackle rampant corruption in the country by Ayatollah Sistani, the highest Shiite religious authority in Iraq earlier this year. The court said oversight and investigative authorities would need to present evidence to be able to hold those suspected of corruption legally accountable. Additional reporting by AFP
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