Amnesty International is calling on Iraqi authorities to immediately rein in security forces after at least six protesters were killed in central Baghdad amid a widening security crackdown.
The deaths, including five by live ammunition, occurred a day earlier during a police operation to clear demonstrations from several bridges and streets near Tahrir Square. In the southern city of Basra, eight protesters have been killed since Thursday.
Amnesty International said there has been at least 264 protester deaths across Iraq in just over a month and called it a “bloodbath.”
The statement called on authorities to end the “unlawful use of lethal force” and said those responsible for it must be brought to justice.
The leaderless, economically driven protests engulfing Baghdad and the south are targeting Iraq’s entire political class.
Also Read
-
Internet gradually returns in Iraq after PM admitted authorities limited it
Internet access in Iraq is gradually returning, the Iraqi News Agency reported on Sunday, after authorities shut it down and blocked social media ... Middle East -
Iraqi minister says Iraq oil production and exports stable, extraction healthy
Iraq’s oil production and export rates remain stable, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said on Saturday, as the country remained gripped by ... Energy -
Iraq forces retake key bridges from protesters
Iraqi security forces wrested back control on Saturday of three bridges in the heart of Baghdad that had been partially occupied by anti-government ... Middle East -
Iraq’s Sistani says security forces responsible for keeping protests peaceful
Iraq’s top Shia cleric said on Friday that it was up to the security forces to make sure protests do not descend into further violence, and ... Middle East
