Amnesty International highlighted the failure of successive Iraqi governments to ensure justice, truth and reparation for the lethal crackdown on the 2019 Tishreen (October) protests, in a report published Sept. 30. Titled "We hold them responsible for the blood of our youth," the report reveals ongoing neglect and impunity five years after nationwide demonstrations that led to hundreds of deaths and disappearances, and thousands of injuries among the protesters.

The Tishreen demonstrations, which began on Oct. 1, 2019, saw hundreds of thousands of Iraqis taking to the streets to demand job opportunities, improved public services, and an end to government corruption. Amnesty found that they were met with "serious human rights violations and crimes under international law...including the excessive and unlawful use of lethal force by anti-riot police, counterterrorism forces and members of Popular Mobilization Units (PMU)."  According to Amnesty's analysis of information from Iraqi courts, out of 2,700 criminal investigations opened, only 10 arrest warrants have been issued against suspected perpetrators, and a mere seven convictions have been handed down.

"The five-year anniversary of the nation-wide Tishreen protests is a stark reminder of ongoing entrenched impunity coupled with the Iraqi authorities’ lack of political will to ensure justice, truth and reparation to victims, survivors and their relatives for crimes under international law and other grave human rights violations committed by security forces and affiliated militias during and in the aftermath of the protests," said Aya Majzoub, Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

While the Iraqi government reported compensating 504 families for the death of a loved one during the protests, injured protesters face bureaucratic hurdles to access compensation, according to the report. The report found that successive Iraqi governments have established committees to investigate protest-related incidents, but details about their work remain unclear, and many interviewees expressed skepticism about their effectiveness.

The report also discusses recent legislative proposals, including a protest law re-introduced to Parliament in May 2023, and a draft NGO law, both of which civil society representatives fear may further restrict civic freedoms.

Amnesty's report aligns with findings of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance (CED) findings from its April 2023 mission to Iraq, which pointed to ongoing abductions and arbitrary detention of protesters. Many remain forcibly disappeared, with the CED receiving 28 urgent action requests related to those involved in the 2019 protests.

The Amnesty report concludes by urging Iraqi authorities to conduct thorough investigations into protest-related incidents, establish a national database of disappeared persons, and ensure that proposed legislation on enforced disappearances aligns with international standards. The organization emphasizes the need for measures to prevent future human rights violations and address the underlying issues that led to the 2019 protests.

Human Rights Watch issued a statement on Oct. 2, 2023, outlining cases of enforced disappearances linked to the protests, including activists like Abdel-Messih Romeo Jean Sarkis and Osama al-Tamimi. These organizations called for the implementation of UNCED recommendations.

From Jurist, Sept. 30. Used with permission.

See our last reports on the Iraqi protests and the Popular Mobilization Units.