Iraq makes unprecedented arrests for protester assassinations

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi authorities have arrested four people in the southern city of Basra on suspicion of being behind a series of assassinations of activists and journalists, AFP reported on Sunday, marking the first known arrests of the kind. 

"An intelligence force managed to arrest four suspects within a network of 16 people responsible for the assassinations that targeted activists in Basra,” an unnamed senior security official told the agency. 

The source stated that the defendants confessed to crimes, including the killing of Iraqi activist and journalist Ahmed Abdul Samad and others, indicating that investigations are underway to identify the rest of the cell members.

The source would not speak on whether the four arrested were affiliated with any paramilitary group or political party.

"The death squad which terrorised our people in Basra, and killed innocents, are now in the hands of our heroic forces, on their way to a fair trial," Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted early on Monday morning.

"We got the killers of Jinan and Abdulsamad, and we will get the killers of Reham, Hosham, and all others. Justice will not sleep." he added, referring to a number of activists, analysts and journalists killed last year. 

Ahmed Abd al-Samad, a 37-year-old correspondent for Dijla channel in Basra, and his fellow cameraman, Safaa Ghali, 26, were assassinated by gunmen on January 10, 2020. 

Other Basra activists were assassinated last year, including prominent activist and fitness trainer Reham Yacoub. 

Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch, described those who were carrying out assassinations in Basra as "clearly well-connected individuals."

“From the way they are walking into someone's house in broad daylight, shooting and killing someone without any fear, shows that they must be connected or have influence among the political sphere, among security groups in the country,” she told Rudaw in August. 

Hardline units of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, are widely accused of the killing of many protesters and voices of dissent.

Dozens of Iraqi youths were killed in the protests with guns or tear gas canisters. Others were assassinated, like security analyst and government advisor Husham al-Hashimi, who was killed in front of his house in July. 

"We know who killed Husham, for example, but we cannot pursue them," a source told AFP, saying his assassins were linked to powerful paramilitary groups.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has repeatedly pledged to hold the killers accountable, but there had been no arrests or public trials.

Several other activists nationwide, including women, have been assassinated or have survived attempts on their lives.

Fahim al-Taie, an activist from Karbala, was killed outside his home in December by unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle. 

Most of the slain activists and journalists had criticized Iran's influence in Iraq, including the deadly role played by Tehran-backed militias.

At least 600 protesters and members of the security forces were killed and more than 18,000 injured since the protest movement emerged, Amnesty International said in January 2020.

Updated 15.2.2021 at 08:49am