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Amnesty International has criticized successive Iraqi governments on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the start of protests in Iraq.
In a report published on September 30, 2024, the organization stated that the Iraqi governments have failed to ensure justice, reveal the truth, and provide compensation regarding the “deadly” crackdown that targeted protesters.
The report, titled “We Hold Them Accountable for the Blood of Our Youth,” highlights the series of broken promises made repeatedly by Iraqi authorities to the victims of the October 2019 protests.
Amnesty described the Iraqi authorities’ efforts to deliver meaningful justice as “feeble,” given the extent of the serious human rights violations since the start of the protests and their aftermath. These violations include the excessive and unlawful use of lethal force by riot police, counter-terrorism forces, and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Aya Majzoub, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, stated that the fifth anniversary of the October protests is a stark reminder of the continuing climate of entrenched impunity. She emphasized the Iraqi authorities’ lack of political will to deliver justice, uncover the truth, and provide compensation to victims, survivors, and their families for crimes committed by security forces and militias, including those that are considered crimes under international law.
Majzoub called on Iraqi authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into those who planned or ordered the crimes committed against protesters, activists, and their families since 2019. She also stressed the need to protect witnesses and families fighting for justice.
Amnesty International conducted interviews with 56 people, including survivors, witnesses, families of the deceased, human rights defenders, lawyers, and civil society workers. The organization also submitted information requests to the Iraqi government and reviewed judicial documents, medical reports, media coverage, and social media posts related to specific incidents.
In early October 2019, protests erupted in several Iraqi cities, with thousands participating and demanding economic reforms and an end to corruption. The protests led to the killing, disappearance, and injury of thousands of demonstrators.
During the October protests, security forces—including riot police, counter-terrorism forces, and members of the PMF, which is legally part of the Iraqi armed forces—used lethal force against protesters, launching a brutal campaign of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
Over the past five years, Iraqi authorities have established multiple committees to investigate the killings, attempted killings, disappearances, and injuries of protesters and activists. However, the outcomes, membership, budgets, and scope of these committees remain shrouded in secrecy.
A few months after assuming office in October 2022, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani instructed the fact-finding committee, previously formed by former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, to accelerate its work. He promised to announce the committee’s findings at a public conference, but nothing has been achieved so far.
Many families of the victims have been forced into silence or relocation due to intimidation and reprisals for speaking out about their loved ones’ fates. The authorities have failed to protect them. In one instance, relatives of the killed or disappeared were themselves murdered simply for demanding justice and naming individuals suspected of criminal responsibility, according to Amnesty.
While around 504 families have received compensation for the deaths of their loved ones during the October protests—following the government’s recognition of them as “martyrs,” which grants them the right to a one-time financial compensation from the Martyrs’ Foundation—those injured or disabled during the protests still face obstacles in obtaining similar compensation.
According to Amnesty International’s report, people have the right to peaceful protest, and states have an obligation to respect, facilitate, and protect this right. This means governments should not interfere with protests unless there is a legitimate threat to the safety and rights of others.
The Human Rights Document, adopted on July 27, 2020, affirms that everyone has the right to peaceful assembly. This right is a tool that enables the exercise of many other rights guaranteed by international law. It is closely related to and forms the foundation for participation in peaceful protests.
The “Same Justice” organisation stresses the need to safeguard and protect the right to freedom of expression according to international laws. It emphasizes the importance of protecting protesters and ensuring their right to express their opinions through sit-ins, protests, and gatherings.
The organisation also rejects violations committed against protesters and their families, calling for criminal investigations under international law into crimes committed by Iraqi officials.
