Iraq to prosecute over 40 security forces responsible for killing protestors: report

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At least 43 security forces in Iraq will face prosecution this month for their role in the deaths of dozens of protestors, a security source said on Tuesday.

So far, two officers have been sentenced for killing Iraqi demonstrators. An Iraqi security official told The National that 43 other police officers would be prosecuted for the killing of protestors between Oct. 1 and 5.

Like the first two officers, they “will either get the death penalty or be sentenced to seven years in prison,” the official stated on condition of anonymity.

On Sunday, one police officer was sentenced to death while another received a seven-year prison sentence for their role in the deaths of protestors.

The protests in Iraq reflect widespread dissatisfaction with the economy, a call for more jobs, the dismal state of public services, and widespread government corruption.

Since they began in early October, widespread protests have resulted in the deaths of nearly 400, while some 16,000 have been injured, according to Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights.

The UN, as well as Amnesty International, have called for an end to the bloodshed and urged security forces to show restraint against protestors.

Demonstrators in Iraq are calling for radical change in Iraq’s political system, which they say fails to address their needs, but, rather, serves the interests of a small governing elite.

The developments have forced Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi to hand in his resignation. In a special session held on Sunday in Baghdad, the Iraqi Parliament voted to accept Abdul Mahdi’s resignation.