Election Violence in Baghdad Puts Iraq’s Democracy to the Test
An Azm Alliance candidate's office was attacked in Baghdad, the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting candidates before Iraq's elections.

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a fresh and alarming sign of the escalating violence marring Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary election campaign, the office of an Azm Alliance candidate was attacked in the Baghdad area, resulting in at least one injury and drawing fierce condemnation.
The incident is the latest in a string of violent acts targeting political figures, following the high-profile assassination of a Siyada Alliance candidate and the intimidation of a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) parliamentarian, collectively casting a dark shadow over the nation's democratic process just weeks before voters are set to go to the polls.
Muthanna Azawi, a candidate representing the Azm Alliance, confirmed the assault in a statement posted to his social media.
"We strongly condemn and denounce the cowardly attack on our office in the town of Yusufiyah, which resulted in the injury of one of our brothers," Azawi wrote.
He detailed not only the physical assault but also a subsequent campaign of intimidation. "We condemn the actions that followed the attack, such as filming, defamation, threats, and attempts at humiliation, which have nothing to do with morals and values."
Despite the attack, Azawi struck a defiant tone, vowing to continue his campaign unabated. "We also reiterate that these strange actions cannot discourage us from serving our relatives and standing with them with the utmost sincerity and responsibility," he declared, adding, "We have a firm belief that the law is above everyone, and the attackers will receive the punishment for their actions sooner or later."
"We have a firm belief that the law is above everyone, and the attackers will receive the punishment for their actions sooner or later," Muthanna Azawi stated.
This attack did not occur in a vacuum. It is part of a deeply troubling pattern of violence that has plagued the run-up to the November 11 elections.
The most shocking of these incidents was the assassination on Wednesday, October 15, of Safa al-Mashhadani, a prominent member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and a parliamentary candidate for the rival Sunni Siyada Alliance.
Mashhadani was killed when a sticky bomb, or improvised explosive device (IED), attached to his car detonated in Baghdad’s Tarmiyah district.
The assassination sent shockwaves through Iraq’s already fragile political landscape. Video footage circulated widely on social media platforms, capturing the horrific moment of the explosion and showing his vehicle completely engulfed in flames on a public street.
Mashhadani was a significant political figure, widely regarded as one of Baghdad’s most popular and influential local leaders. As a leading candidate for the al-Siyada Alliance, led by Khamis al-Khanjar, his growing popularity, particularly among young voters and Sunni communities in the capital, had made him a formidable contender and a key vote-winner for his political bloc.
Analysts noted that Mashhadani's charisma, organizational skills, and broad base of support made him a pivotal figure capable of mobilizing thousands of voters, especially in districts where Sunni representation had been historically eroded.
Furthermore, he was known for his strong stances and fiery remarks against Iran-backed Shiite militias and their interference in Iraq's political and governmental affairs, making him a visible opponent of powerful armed factions.
The response to his assassination was swift and furious. Khamis al-Khanjar, the head of the Siyada Alliance, issued a powerful statement mourning his colleague and condemning the perpetrators.
"With a sad heart full of pain and anger, we announce to the citizens that our dear brother Safa Mashhadani, one of the leaders of the Siyada Alliance and a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council, was assassinated by a black hand," Khanjar stated.
He framed the killing as part of a larger, ongoing tragedy, saying, "This new incident is also on the list of those incidents that were previously carried out against the different voices of our homeland at the hands of terrorists." Describing the assassination as "treacherous terrorism," Khanjar vowed that justice would be served.
"The blood of the martyr Safa al-Mashhadani will not be wasted," he pledged, reaffirming his alliance's unwavering commitment to pursuing justice, eliminating the scourge of uncontrolled weaponry, and fighting all forms of discrimination in the country. "We will not be silent about the crimes of the criminals," he asserted.
The assassination also drew strong condemnation from the Kurdistan Region. Barzani Headquarters released a statement strongly denouncing the killing and extending condolences to Mashhadani’s family and to Khamis al-Khanjar.
The headquarters emphasized the grave threat such violence poses to the country's stability, stating that the attack "undermines societal peace and democratic participation." In its statement, Barzani Headquarters called on Iraqi authorities to act swiftly to identify and prosecute those responsible for the heinous crime.
Observers and analysts across local Iraqi TV stations and political circles overwhelmingly interpreted Mashhadani's killing as a targeted political elimination. The attack bore the hallmarks of a professionally executed assassination designed to weaken the Sunni political front ahead of the crucial elections.
It highlighted the fierce and often violent competition between the emerging Sunni alliances, which present themselves as defenders of Sunni rights and advocates for national balance, and the established, ruling Shiite political blocs that have long dominated Iraq’s parliament and government institutions.
The al-Siyada Alliance, in particular, has been seen as a growing political threat to these established coalitions.
While no group claimed responsibility for the assassination, suspicions immediately fell upon pro-Iran Shiite militias. These groups have been accused in the past of targeting Sunni leaders, reform-oriented candidates, and civil society activists who challenge their influence.
The attack underscored Iraq’s deeply entrenched culture of political intimidation, where assassinations, kidnappings, and threats have frequently been used as tools to shape electoral outcomes and silence dissent.
As is often the case in such high-profile killings, the Iraqi government pledged to open an investigation. However, a long history of similar inquiries that have rarely led to tangible results or public accountability has fostered deep skepticism about the state’s ability, or perhaps its willingness, to confront the powerful armed groups operating beyond its control.
The violence has not been confined to Baghdad’s Sunni candidates. On Thursday, October 16, Mahma Khalil Agha, a member of the Iraqi Parliament and a candidate for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Nineveh province, reported an act of targeted intimidation.
In a statement, Khalil said that at midnight, "a group of unknown people who carry the ideology of ISIS" entered the courtyard of his office in the town of Sinjar and burned his campaign posters and pictures. The parliamentarian condemned the incident as a "cowardly act."
He added, "We reiterate that this is evidence that these terrorist groups are not satisfied with this loyalty that the representative has shown in the past 20 years since entering the Council of Representatives." This incident demonstrates that the threats are widespread, targeting Kurdish representatives as well and involving different extremist ideologies.
Amid these overt acts of violence, a more ambiguous incident added to the atmosphere of anxiety. A security source announced that a fire had broken out in the office of another election candidate in central Baghdad.
The source told Iraqi media that the fire was quickly brought under control and did not result in any casualties. While initial information indicated that the cause was an electrical short circuit, the timing of the event, in the context of targeted attacks, left room for public concern.
Taken together, these events paint a grim and volatile picture of Iraq's political climate. The assassination of a high-profile candidate, the armed attack on another's office, and the intimidation of a third have sparked widespread outrage among the public, with many citizens taking to social media to condemn the violence and demand justice.
Civil society activists have warned that such a campaign of violence and intimidation could have a chilling effect on the elections, frightening both voters and candidates and potentially skewing the results.
The attacks threaten to further erode public confidence in an already beleaguered electoral process and heighten sectarian divisions. With the November 11 vote rapidly approaching, the series of attacks poses a critical test for Iraq's security apparatus and for the political resilience of the country's fragile democracy.
The fundamental question remains whether the state can ensure a safe environment for a free and fair election or if the outcome will be dictated by the deadly calculus of violence and fear.