UN urges Iraqi officials to prosecute those behind ‘use of excessive force’

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has released a list of recommendations that includes a call to prosecute those responsible for the use of excessive force on protesters and an investigation into cases of abductions.

The list released on Sunday also called for the immediate release of all peaceful demonstrators detained since October 1 and for authorities to stop targeting protests with the use of excessive force.

The final immediate recommendation urged authorities to “publicly call for all regional and international parties not to interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs” and to “respect its sovereignty”.

Representatives of UNAMI, including the agency’s Special Representative Jeanine Hennis, have been in Iraq on a fact-finding mission in recent days.

The report comes as Iraqi security forces fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in Baghdad on Sunday injuring at least 22 people, police and medical sources told Reuters, a day after they pushed demonstrations back towards one main square in the Iraqi capital.