Family of assassinated activist accuse UNAMI of ‘complicity’ after meeting with chief

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— The family of prominent activist Ihab al-Wazni, who was assassinated last month, told Rudaw English on Thursday the United Nations is "complicit" in the killing of Iraqi activists following a meeting with the head of the United Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI). 

UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert visited Wazni’s family in Karbala on Thursday, meeting with Ihab’s mother Samira, who held an open sit-in in front of Karbala's court from Sunday, demanding authorities reveal the identity of her son’s killer.

Unknown gunmen assassinated Wazni near his home in Karbala in May.  Before his death, the activist called for large protests, prompting demonstrators to head en masse to Baghdad just weeks after he was killed, demanding the killers of activists be revealed.

Footage filmed by sit-in participants showed Wazni’s mother on Sunday trying to stop a UN convoy in Karbala amid ongoing calls for justice.

UNAMI tweeted that Plasschaert “expressed her heartfelt condolences and explained the UN’s efforts to promote accountability for the attacks targeting civic and political activists. She underlined that the perpetrators of these hideous crimes must be brought to justice."

Ali al-Wazni, Ihab's brother, accused the UN of colluding with the killers for not taking serious measures to stop impunity and the bloodshed, in which more than 600 people have been killed since 2019.

"I told Plasschaert that the United Nations is complicit with murderers, and it takes bribes from the corrupt. We don't want Plasschaert to denounce or express concern, we want action," Ali told Rudaw English on Thursday.

Video footage filmed by Wazni’s family members showed the UNAMI chief replying to Ali’s accusations during the meeting, saying that “the parties that are issuing these kinds of tweets or campaigns against United Nations have obviously one objective: to confuse the scene.”

Ali confirmed that his family has not been able to see the case file on investigations into Wazni’s death, and said they have demanded meetings with the head of Karbala Appeals Court multiple times, which were rejected.

“Authorities told us that the assassin's driver was arrested and he is now in Baghdad, but he is not the main suspect, and so far we don't know anything about the progress of the investigations with him or with others so far," Ali added.

Hennis-Plasschaert also met with the Governor of Karbala, Nassif al-Khattabi and discussed the need to ensure accountability for those involved in crimes against activists.

Her visit has not stopped a torrent of criticism over the UN’s handling of the situation. Activists published pictures from October of Plasschaert with the chief-of-staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-shaabi), Abdulaziz al-Mohammedawi, also known as Abu Fadak, saying that UNAMI stands with the killers.

Abu Fadak is a former leader of the pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah militia, accused by protesters and activists of being complicit in violence against demonstrators.

Ihab’s mother has accused Qassem Musleh,  a PMF leader from Anbar, of killing her son. Musleh was arrested on charges of terrorism and killing prominent activists in Karbala, but was released shortly after due to an alleged lack of evidence.

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.