ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A court in Nasriryah issued arrest warrants on Wednesday against families of killed protesters for an angry outburst during their meeting with the head of the Dhi Qar Appeals Court, according to a statement from the Supreme Judicial Council.
"Legal measures were taken against the people who violated the sanctity of the court and attacked its staff during official working hours yesterday,” it said.
On Tuesday, the families of slain protesters demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the Dhi Qar Appeals Presidency, demanding action to be taken against those who have killed hundreds of activists and protesters since October 2019.
A video that went viral on social media showed a group of families speaking to the court’s president, Mohammed Hussain, in his office. During the meeting, family members described Hussain as a “coward.”
"You are an uncooperative man. We have protested twice here before and you refused to meet with us. We demand that you resign," a man said in the video.
“The judiciary is under pressure from [political] parties. You are cowards. The court’s decision today is political, not judicial,” he added.
The council released a statement later that evening, criticising the families for their anger.
"Some of them went beyond the peaceful way of putting forward demands, and they used words and actions that are not representative of those who have legitimate demands," it said.
The incident comes amid ongoing pleas for justice from the mother of Ihab al-Wazni, who was killed in May.
Samira al-Wazni has received widespread support from Iraqi activists for her calls for justice. She started a sit-in in Karbala on Sunday, calling for the identity of her son’s killers to be revealed. On Tuesday, her tent was destroyed by police and she was attacked by security forces.
Since the start of the protest movement in October 2019, dozens of activists have been assassinated, and some have been kidnapped and tortured. The killers act with impunity as investigations have yielded little result.
Earlier in June, a prominent leader in Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi) was released on an alleged lack of evidence after being arrested for terrorism and Wazni's murder.
.webp&w=3840&q=75)
