University graduates beaten at Baghdad protest, rights group urges probe
Shafaq News- Baghdad
An immediate investigation into alleged abuse of graduate protesters in Baghdad is needed, the Iraq Center for Human Rights stated on Tuesday, after images showed protesters being mistreated during a demonstration near the Green Zone.
The center’s head, Ali Al-Abadi, said the images, which showed beatings and abuse by some members of the Law Enforcement Forces against young protesters, reflected a lack of respect for freedom of expression and peaceful protest –rights protected by Iraq’s Constitution and international human rights conventions.
He urged Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and the Interior Ministry to open a “transparent” inquiry and hold anyone found responsible to account, while also responding to the graduates’ demands with “practical and fair” solutions.
Hundreds of older graduates had gathered earlier today in Baghdad’s Al-Allawi area, near the Foreign Ministry, demanding public-sector appointments. Protesters came from several provinces, including Al-Sulaymaniyah, Saladin, Diyala, and Dhi Qar, while anti-riot forces deployed heavily at the site.
Ministry of Planning spokesperson Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi previously said Iraq’s unemployment rate stood at 13% in early 2025, while youth unemployment remained around 20%.
Nearly 250,000 students graduate each year from public universities and institutes, excluding private colleges, the ministry estimates, yet public-sector hiring has been largely frozen since October 2025, when Iraq’s Federal Service Council ordered ministries, state institutions, and provincial authorities to halt recruitment across centrally funded and self-financed entities.
