ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least 157 protesters were killed during the protests which swept Iraq earlier this month, a report published by the Human Rights Office of the United Nationals Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) confirmed on Tuesday. It put the number of injured at 5,494.
The report came just hours after the Iraqi government published its own findings, which put the death toll at 107, the majority of them killed by gunshots to the head and chest.
The Iraqi investigative committee confirmed security forces used live ammunition, snipers, and tear gas to target protesters, while some demonstrators used Molotov cocktails against security forces.
Protesters in Baghdad told Rudaw English at the height of the violence that snipers were targeting them. The report confirms snipers were stationed in building in both al-Kilani square and near al-Nakhil mall in Baghdad.
The report revealed that around 70 percent of the protesters killed during the unrest were shot either in the head or chest – indicating the snipers were shooting to kill.
“The majority of the protesters were between the age of 15 and 25,” the report said.
Mass protests against corruption, unemployment, and the lack of basic services started in Baghdad on October 1, with security forces using live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and sniper rounds to disperse the crowd. Curfews were also imposed on city centers and internet services cut across the country’s south.
According to the report, the Iraqi government did not order security forces in any Iraqi province to open fire on protesters with live ammunition.
“The order of shooting at protesters or using live ammunition against them did not come from the Iraqi government,” the report states, without indicating who gave the order.
Some protesters who spoke to Rudaw English on October 6 said an Iran-backed militia called Saraya al- Khorasani fired on them with live ammunition.
Saraya al-Khorasani is one of dozens of militias that make up Iraq’s security forces but often act independently or under the radar of official command.
UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said: “This is an important step towards accountability, and I urge that further steps be taken to prosecute and punish those responsible. This is of great importance as investigations, delivering accountability for perpetrators and redress for victims, also serve as critical tools of prevention and protection.”
UNAMI’s report highlights reports of violations of the right to life, including deliberate killings of unarmed protesters and the excessive use of force by units deployed to manage the demonstrations.
“The report also highlights concerns regarding the widespread use of repressive measures to limit publicly available information on the demonstrations as well as allegations of arbitrary arrests, threats and harassment,” UNAMI said.
“It furthermore calls on all demonstrators to exercise their right to assembly in peaceful and non-violent ways, in keeping with the law.”
Danielle Bell, head of UNAMI’s Human Rights Office, said: “The loss of life, serious injuries and harm resulting from the violence during the demonstrations was both tragic and preventable. Concrete steps to enable peaceful assemblies and protect those participating should be a priority.”
The Iraqi committee's report offered a set of recommendations for the government. It called for the sacking of the head of Baghdad Operations Command, the commander of 11 Infantry Division, the head of first Division of Federal Police, and the head of Baghdad Police.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi established the committee on October 13.
Abdul-Mahdi also issued a set of reforms that were focusing on providing jobs and housing for the unemployed and families living in rented accommodation.
However, protesters have vowed to resume their demonstrations on Friday.
Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, issued a statement on October 11 claiming the Iraqi government is responsible for the death of protesters, even if rogue security elements were the ones pulling the trigger.
“The government and its security forces are responsible for the abundance of blood spilled in the protests of the last days, whether be it from innocent civilians or security forces tasked to deal with it, and it [the government] cannot escape from assuming this huge responsibility,” Sistani said in a Friday sermon, read by his representative Sheikh Abdulmahdi al-Karbalai.
Sistani demanded the government investigate the shootings and make public the names of those officers involved or who gave the shoot-to-kill orders. These individuals must be brought to justice “within a limited period, like two weeks,” he added.
Since taking power in October 2018, Abdul-Mahdi has said his government’s priority is to clamp down on corruption. Critics say he has moved too slowly, however. The PM is under mounting pressure to deliver tangible results and not just a few token scalps.
