Iraq
Mourners carry the Iraqi-flag draped coffin of slain activist Reham Yacoub during her funeral in the centre of Iraq's southern city of Basra on August 20, 2020. Photo: Hussein Faleh/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Eighteen Western diplomats condemned “targeted assassinations” of Iraqi civil society activists and called on Baghdad to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Civic activism is a cornerstone of representative and accountable government and must be protected. We urge all Iraqi leaders to join us in condemning these violent acts, and we call on them to take steps to ensure those responsible are punished to the full extent of the law,” read a statement from the embassies of fifteen European nations, the European Union, Australia, and Canada.
Two civil society activists have been killed in less than a week and three more narrowly escaped assassination attempts. Reham Yacoub was shot dead in Basra on Wednesday and Tahseen Oussama was gunned down earlier last Friday, also in Basra. The wave of targeted killings began with the death of security analyst Husham al-Hashimi in Baghdad in July.
Authorities have yet to prosecute anyone in relation to these crimes, despite a promise from new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to arrest those responsible.
Iraqis have taken to the streets in regular protests since October. Demonstrators forced the resignation of former prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and focused the attention of the nation on issues of electoral reform, ending corruption, and improving basic government services. Despite much rhetoric from political leaders, little has been actually accomplished, however. Activists say the government is weak in the face of Iranian-backed militia groups.
The parliament’s human rights committee on Thursday called on Kadhimi, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to “take serious action to stop the constant assassinations of civil activists.”
"The committee clarifies that the security services' failure to reveal the circumstances of these systematic crimes will have bad consequences in spreading chaos and threatening societal peace,” read a statement from the committee.
The United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) demanded the government do more to end the campaign of intimidation against activists.
“The killing of Dr. Riham Yacoub last night and Tahseen Oussama a week ago present a serious threat to security and stability in Basra. Basrawis should not live in such an atmosphere of terror and intimidation. Greater action by the authorities is urgently required. The full force of the law must be applied to find, apprehend and hold the perpetrators accountable, and to put an end to this cycle of violence,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN special representative to Iraq, said on Thursday.
Kadhimi has met with protesters and is trying to address their demands, including calling for early elections, but the suppression of protests and assassinations of civil society actors have continued.
“Civic activism is a cornerstone of representative and accountable government and must be protected. We urge all Iraqi leaders to join us in condemning these violent acts, and we call on them to take steps to ensure those responsible are punished to the full extent of the law,” read a statement from the embassies of fifteen European nations, the European Union, Australia, and Canada.
Two civil society activists have been killed in less than a week and three more narrowly escaped assassination attempts. Reham Yacoub was shot dead in Basra on Wednesday and Tahseen Oussama was gunned down earlier last Friday, also in Basra. The wave of targeted killings began with the death of security analyst Husham al-Hashimi in Baghdad in July.
Authorities have yet to prosecute anyone in relation to these crimes, despite a promise from new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to arrest those responsible.
Iraqis have taken to the streets in regular protests since October. Demonstrators forced the resignation of former prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and focused the attention of the nation on issues of electoral reform, ending corruption, and improving basic government services. Despite much rhetoric from political leaders, little has been actually accomplished, however. Activists say the government is weak in the face of Iranian-backed militia groups.
The parliament’s human rights committee on Thursday called on Kadhimi, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to “take serious action to stop the constant assassinations of civil activists.”
"The committee clarifies that the security services' failure to reveal the circumstances of these systematic crimes will have bad consequences in spreading chaos and threatening societal peace,” read a statement from the committee.
The United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) demanded the government do more to end the campaign of intimidation against activists.
“The killing of Dr. Riham Yacoub last night and Tahseen Oussama a week ago present a serious threat to security and stability in Basra. Basrawis should not live in such an atmosphere of terror and intimidation. Greater action by the authorities is urgently required. The full force of the law must be applied to find, apprehend and hold the perpetrators accountable, and to put an end to this cycle of violence,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN special representative to Iraq, said on Thursday.
Kadhimi has met with protesters and is trying to address their demands, including calling for early elections, but the suppression of protests and assassinations of civil society actors have continued.
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