Shafaq News- Babil

Civil activist Dhargham Majid survived a fresh assassination attempt in Iraq's Babil province on Tuesday, sustaining a gunshot wound to one of his feet, eyewitnesses told Shafaq News.

Majid was struck in the foot during the attack and was immediately transferred to the hospital for treatment. A video circulating on social media showed him receiving emergency care, with visible bloodstains on his left foot.

The attack is the second of its kind against Majid in roughly two years. In July 2024, he announced he had survived a failed assassination attempt, which he attributed to unnamed "influential parties."

Majid is widely known for his vocal opposition to Iraq's ruling political class. Over recent years, he has led popular protests against corruption, unemployment, and deteriorating public services across several provinces.

In 2022, security forces arrested him on a warrant issued by the relevant authorities. Then in April 2025, an appeals court in Babil ordered his release alongside several other protesters, hours after a lower court sentenced them to four months in prison for their role in anti-government demonstrations —a reversal that followed the withdrawal of a complaint by Iraqi lawmaker Dunia al-Shammari.

Amnesty International, in a 2025 submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, flagged widespread arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force, and a lack of accountability in detention centers in Iraq. Freedom House rated the country "Not Free" in its Freedom in the World 2025 report, citing severe restrictions on free speech, assembly, and civic activity.

This was followed by a developed story.

Read more: Silenced voices: The treacherous reality for journalists in Iraq