Jane Arraf, The New York Times
Published: 26 May 2021 03:19 PM BdST
Updated: 26 May 2021 03:19 PM BdST Antigovernment protesters rally in Baghdad on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. The New York Times.
‘Who killed me?’ the signs asked, alongside images of dead men and women, among the roughly 80 Iraqi activists murdered since late 2019. Young demonstrators held aloft the posters in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Tuesday, illustrating both the enduring spark and diminished strength of Iraq’s anti-government protest movement. );
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The demonstrators (publicly) and Iraqi officials (privately) say they know who killed many of the activists: Iran-backed militias that have essentially crushed a grassroots anti-corruption movement that blames Iranian influence, and the militias, for many of Iraq’s ills. In a country where militias nominally a part of the security apparatus operate with impunity, the killers have gone unpunished.
At least one killed in clampdown on peaceful protests in Iraq morningstaronline.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from morningstaronline.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Iraqi Activism Fights for Survival Amid Murders and Threats
A movement demanding a new kind of Iraq struggles to carry on, despite intimidation from Iranian-backed militias that are believed to have murdered dozens of activists.
Protesters and riot police on Tahrir Square in Baghdad on Tuesday.Credit.Andrea DiCenzo for The New York Times
May 25, 2021Updated 5:29 p.m. ET
BAGHDAD ‘Who killed me?’ the signs asked, alongside images of dead men and women, among the roughly 80 Iraqi activists murdered since late 2019. Young demonstrators held aloft the posters in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Tuesday, illustrating both the enduring spark and diminished strength of Iraq’s anti-government protest movement.
One demonstrator has been shot dead and dozens injured during violence at a rally in Baghdad where thousands gathered to demand accountability for the murder of prominent Iraqi activists and protesters.
What kicked off on Tuesday morning as a hopeful wave of demonstrations in Tahrir Square saw tensions brew throughout the day and violence between protesters and security forces erupt early evening.
Videos shared on social media showed tear gas, live fire and chaos reminiscent of October 2019 when the nationwide social uprising first began and several protesters were shot dead by security forces.
Since then, almost 600 demonstrators have been killed and 35 activists have died in 82 targeted killings, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR).
May 24, 2021 at 3:28 pm | Published in: Iraq, Middle East, News
Hisham Al-Mashhadani, Iraqi expert on armed groups and terrorism [@Iraq Tweets/Twitter] May 24, 2021 at 3:28 pm
A prominent Iraqi expert on armed groups and terrorism, who advised governments and appeared frequently in the media, has been shot dead in the capital, Baghdad, local media reported.
Hisham Al-Mashhadani was killed late on Saturday by an armed group in a village near Taramiyah district, north of Baghdad, where Daesh fighters are known to operate. He had nominated himself for the coming parliamentary elections as a member of the Azim Alliance, led by Iraqi politician Khamis Khanjar.