Iraq: in terror of targeted assassinations

Graffiti by Iraqi activist Ehab Al-Ouazni who was assassinated on May 9 in Karbala.

AFP - MOHAMMED SAWAF

Text by: Nicolas Falez Follow

4 min

Iraq is rocked by a wave of political assassinations that has lasted for months and claimed the lives of dozens of protesters, journalists and representatives of civil society.

A demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25 in Baghdad to protest against these crimes and against the impunity enjoyed by their perpetrators and sponsors.

Publicity

Read more

Asaad Zalzali is 37 years old, he is a journalist and worked for several media before joining the Al-Hurra channel. His work has won several awards, but this Iraqi journalist is now in exile in his own country. “ 

I was the target of threats and shootings in 2017 and 2018 because of certain sensitive files I was investigating. I fled these threats to live in Erbil where I work for Al-Hurra which is an American channel ”

.

These threats have become even more important as the conflict in Iraq today pits the United States against Iran and Iran's political allies are those who control politics in Iraq.

“ 

I therefore undergo three types of pressure: the first linked to my investigative work, the second to my participation in the popular demonstrations of October 2019, and the third to the American media for which I work.

Every time I work on a story, I think about my will.

Should I write it or not?

 "

Killed in front of his home in Baghdad ...

This testimony is emblematic of the wave of terror raging in Iraq. In 2019, protests erupted in the country to denounce the corruption and carelessness of the political class in Iraq. Rallies that were repressed with several hundred demonstrators killed. Since then, the country has been the scene of targeted assassinations (around thirty), attempted assassinations, and also kidnappings.

The targets: protesters participating in anti-government demonstrations such as

Ehab Al-Ouazni who was assassinated on May 9

.

Journalists like

Ahmed Hassan, who was seriously injured

by gunshots to the head the next day.

Other personalities of Iraqi civil society have been mowed down in recent months, such as political scientist Hicham Al Hachemi who was killed last July outside his home in Baghdad.

The "Popular Mobilization" armed groups indexed

For many, the nature of these assassinations gives clues to the identity of the assassins, as Belkis Wille of the human rights organization

Human Rights Watch

believes

.

“ 

These individuals carried weapons, sometimes in broad daylight and showed no fear, while they carried out an assassination or kidnapping in the middle of the street. So we assume that these individuals belong to very powerful armed groups that can operate with impunity. The groups that we immediately think of are those of the "Popular Mobilization" because of the very strong links they have with power and the ease with which they can obtain weapons "

The suspicions therefore fall on the armed groups united under the name of

"Popular Mobilization" in Arabic Hached al chaabi

. These are paramilitary groups formed in 2014 to fight against the jihadists of the Islamic State group who then took control of large portions of Iraqi territory. These “Popular Mobilization” groups are for some very close to Iran, a neighboring country and very influential in Iraq.

Officially investigations have been opened after dozens of targeted assassinations in recent months, but without concrete results.

It is the impunity of the perpetrators and sponsors of these crimes that is therefore denounced by a large number of Iraqis.

Unpunished violence which places a heavy burden on Iraqi society, as Belkis Wille explains: " 

Unfortunately, these assassinations had the consequences sought by the armed groups: silencing critical voices, reducing the debate to silence

".

Beyond the indignation of many Iraqis, the political consequences of this wave of terror are also being felt.

In recent weeks, several political parties have called for a boycott of the legislative elections.

These are scheduled for next October.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Iraq

• Criminality

• Society