Iraqi activists, journalists failed by government impunity: HRW

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A human rights watchdog on Thursday condemned the Iraqi government for a culture of impunity towards the perpetrators of serious abuses in the country, most notably those committed against protestors, activists, and journalists, including murder and enforced disappearances during large-scale demonstrations that swept the capital two years ago.

In its annual World Report 2022, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said “the Iraqi government failed in 2021 to deliver on promises to hold to account those responsible for the abuse of protestors, activists, journalists.” 

Iraqis took to the streets in large-scale protests in 2019, dubbed the Tishreen (October) movement, which called for an end to corruption, unemployment, and the provision of basic services. The protestors were met with excessive violence, tear gas canisters, and live ammunition.

Demonstrators, activists, and journalists have been targeted since the emergence of the protests and their killers have often acted with impunity as investigations yield little results.

At least 487 people were killed during the protests, according to the rights watch, with others estimating the figure to be far higher The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic), are widely blamed for the assassination attacks.

Prominent activist Ihab al-Wazni was killed in Karbala last year in May. The murder sparked outrage among activists, with many blaming Iran-backed militias for his death. 

An Iraqi court sentenced two men accused of killing an Iraqi protestor on November 2, a day after the death penalty was given to an accused killer of two journalists during the protests.  

The report also criticized the impunity that armed groups, including the PMF, and critics of political elites hold while referring to the assassination attempt allegedly committed by an armed group against Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi earlier in November, and their exemption from punishment. 

“The attempted assassination of Prime Minister al-Kadhimi vividly captures the impunity of Iraq’s armed groups,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at HRW. “They are not afraid to launch even a brazen attack on the country’s leader.”

Pro-Iran militias, who denied involvement in the drone attack, mocked the offensive that targeted the premier. 

The report also highlighted the Kurdistan Region’s behavior towards journalists and activists as the Kurdish government pursued “numerous cases” against journalists in the last year.

In November, an Erbil court handed jail sentences to four Duhok detainees who were among dozens arrested during anti-government protests in 2020. Multiple cases have worked their way through the courts in connection with the protests. The first group to be put on trial - Sherwan Sherwani, Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari - were found guilty of endangering national security and sentenced to six years in jail. Several others were released earlier this year on time served.

“It is alarming to see Kurdistan authorities pursuing charges against people for protected speech and without any regard for the flawed nature of their trials,” Wille noted in the report. “By prosecuting these cases they are sending a clear signal to critical journalists to be silent.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) barred two prominent media outlets from covering a governmental press conference on Tuesday, raising concerns of violations of press rights. 

However, the crackdown on protests did not stop in Duhok as security forces arrested 603 protestors between November 21 and 26 last year, in Sulaimani province alone, according to the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). 

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