The Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights said on Monday that the death toll in the anti-government protests across the country has risen to 74, while about 3,600 people were wounded
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2019) The Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights said on Monday that the death toll in the anti-government protests across the country has risen to 74, while about 3,600 people were wounded.
Previous reports indicated that as many as 63 people were killed.
"The number of martyrs reached 74 cases, most of them were shot by the clashes between the protesters and the parties headquarters' security guards while trying to enter them, in addition to cases of suffocation due to tear gas," a statement published on the commission's Facebook page said.
The statement also noted that 3,654 people, including protesters and law enforcement officers, were injured during the unrest.
Nationwide protests in Iraq began in early October and developed in waves of escalation. People demand the ouster of the government, as well as economic reforms, better living conditions, social welfare and an end to corruption. As the rallies grew more violent, the government declared a curfew and cut internet access in Baghdad and five other regions.
