The Iraqi High Ministerial Committee to Investigate the Demonstrations witnessed in the country in early October recognized that the use of excessive force and live bullets by the security forces was a major cause of the large number of civilian deaths in the protests, noting that the final death toll reached 149. Including eight security personnel.
The Commission said in its final report that it found evidence that sniper bullets targeted protesters from a building in central Baghdad, and that 70% of the injuries were in the head and chest.
The Committee noted that the failure of riot police to impose a curfew led to violence in the protests, and also blamed the violence on censorship of the media for not addressing those who broadcast false news.
The final report confirmed that no orders from the higher authorities had not been issued to shoot live demonstrators, and that what happened was due to the loss of control of the leaders of the security forces on their staff, and recommended accordingly the dismissal of the commander of Baghdad operations and other senior security officials, and refer the file to the judiciary.