The Iraqi government should hold accountable those involved in human rights violations during the deadly demonstrations earlier in the month and all parties should remain calm to avoid further loss of life, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement on Friday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th October, 2019) The Iraqi government should hold accountable those involved in human rights violations during the deadly demonstrations earlier in the month and all parties should remain calm to avoid further loss of life, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement on Friday."We urge calm on all sides, and in particular a carefully calibrated and proportionate response by security forces in full accordance with international standards, so the terrible toll of life and property during the protests at the beginning of the month are not repeated," Shamdasani said. "The government also issued its own Investigative Report on 22 October, and we urge it to act on the calls for accountability for perpetrators contained in both reports."
On Tuesday, the United Nations mission in Iraq released a report in which it said that during the protests in the country from October 1-9, at least 157 people were killed and 5,494 people were injured.
The report found indications of serious human rights violations and abuses and urged the Iraqi authorities to take concrete steps to prevent future violations during the renewed protests.
The report recommended dismissing a number of senior officials from the Iraqi security agencies, including the police chiefs in the cities of Baghdad, Babil, Najaf, Maysan, Nasiriyah and Al Diwaniyah.
At the beginning of October, a wave of anti-government rallies took place in Iraq, with the protesters demanding economic reforms, an end to corruption and the dismissal of the current government.
Anti-government protests resumed on Friday in Baghdad, following a three-week hiatus in observance of a religious pilgrimage to the holy places in southern Iraq. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had been put on high alert across the country ahead of the expected resumption of protests.
Shamdasani added the OHCHR also expressed concern about the blocking of social media and the internet with the renewal of demonstrations.
Earlier on Friday, media reported that the new wave of clashes in Baghdad and across several provinces left at least two people dead and more than 300 protesters injured.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, urged the protesters and security forces to avoid violence and bloodshed.
