| Translate This News In |
|---|
According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, the US is outraged that peaceful Iraqi protesters demanding reform were met with threats and “brutal violence.”
Thousands gathered in Baghdad two days ago to demand accountability from Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for the murders of prominent Iraqi activists and protesters, and one demonstrator was shot dead and dozens were injured during the violence.
“The US is outraged that peaceful protesters who took to the streets to demand reform were met with threats and brutal violence,” Price said in a statement.
“We applaud the government’s efforts to hold militias, thugs, and vigilante groups accountable for their attacks on Iraqis exercising their right to free expression and peaceful assembly, as well as for their assault on the rule of law,” said a State Department spokesman.
Tensions rose throughout the day in Tahrir Square, culminating in violence in the early evening when security forces used guns and tear gas to repress protesters.
Videos shared on social media showed chaos reminiscent of the first days of the nationwide social uprising in October 2019, when security forces killed several protesters.
The U.S. is outraged by disregard for the rule of law in Iraq. The judiciary should be allowed to operate without intimidation and threats of violence and Iraqis exercising their rights and freedoms should be able to demonstrate without fear of attacks. https://t.co/pBdxZCJrYT
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) May 27, 2021
According to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights, nearly 600 demonstrators have been killed, with 35 activists killed in 82 targeted killings.
The killing of activist Ihab Jawad al-Wazni near his Karbala home on May 9 sparked Tuesday’s protests, as did his family’s calls for an end to impunity.
Although the perpetrators have not been identified, activists and demonstrators have pointed to militias backed by Iran. Hundreds of people shouted anti-Iran militia slogans in Tahrir Square on May 25.
Qasim Muslih, the commander of the Iranian-backed Shia militia Popular Mobilization Forces, was arrested by Iraqi security forces in Anbar province on May 26.
Officials told the Reuters news service that Muslih was detained in connection with recent attacks on the Ain al-Asad airbase, which houses US and other international forces.
Meanwhile, as public discontent grows, Prime Minister al-government Kadhimi’s must prepare for national elections, which have been postponed until October.
Al-Kadhimi promised to hold early elections after taking office in May of last year, in order to appease demonstrators calling for a political system overhaul. Many Iraqis who are dissatisfied with the slow pace of progress are now calling for a boycott of the election.
