WEB DESK
Iraq’s semi-official human rights commission today said that at least 490 protesters have been killed in Baghdad and southern cities in the last three months of anti-government rallies.
Faisal Abdullah, a member of the commission, said that 490 killed include 33 activists assassinated in targeted killings. More than 22,000 have been injured while 56 protesters are still missing.
Iraq has been roiled by protests since October 1 in which demonstrators have taken to the streets to decry corruption, poor services and a lack of jobs. They have also called for an end to the political system imposed after the 2003 US-led invasion. The mass uprisings prompted the resignation of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi late last month. The protesters demand an independent candidate to hold the post.
The leaderless protests – the most serious challenge for the ruling class in over a decade – were met with a violent crackdown by security forces.
The United Nations has also said that it received credible allegations of deliberate killings, abductions and arbitrary detentions.