Iraqi Presidency Meeting: Emphasis on securing demonstrators and meeting their legitimate demands

Iraq

2019-10-23T14:23:20+00:00

Shafaq News/ President ,Barham Salih hosted a meeting held at the Peace Palace in Baghdad on Wednesday, 23/10/2019 with Prime Minister ,Adel Abdul Mahdi, Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi and President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Fayeq Zidan.

The meeting discussed the current political and security situation in the country, and stressed the importance of moving fixed timetables to implement the legitimate demands of the demonstrators in reform and anti-corruption to secure the protection of the constitutional right to peaceful demonstration, freedom of expression , protection of security and public property and community peace.

The investigative committee announced on demonstrations in Iraq, on Tuesday, that the excessive use of force caused casualties among the demonstrators, noting that the death toll of a week of protests reached 157 killed people.

State television quoted the committee’s report as saying that 149 civilians and eight security forces had been killed, adding that the committee had found evidence that snipers had targeted protesters from a building in central Baghdad.

The report said that 70 percent of the injuries were in the chest and head, confirming the intention to directly target the demonstrators during a week of demanded protests in Iraq that took place about two weeks ago.

The committee attributed the civilian casualties to the weak command and control of some commanders and officials, which "led to chaos," according to the committee, which noted at the same time that no official orders from the higher authorities were issued to shoot demonstrators.

But the committee said it had transmitted recordings of officials who instigated killing protesters. The Committee recommended the exemption of the commander of Baghdad operations, Baghdad police chief, the commander of operations of Rafidain and the police chief of Dhi Qar, and recommended that the file be referred to the judiciary.