Arrests, repression and interruption of the Internet .. Thus faced demonstrations in Iraq

Spring flower

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition, hot pepper bombs and hot water hoses at demonstrators who began major protests since Oct. 1 in Baghdad and other parts of the country.

These attacks caused deaths, injuries, fainting, and dangerous situations after being targeted by riot police.

Demonstrations were called by activists and bloggers on social media to participate and demand legitimate rights, as guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution, but security forces used violence to disperse demonstrators.

Internet disconnection
Throughout the demonstrations in most of Iraq's provinces, internet service was cut off across Iraq, demanding services and jobs, until the last demand for regime change.

Authorities also blocked some social media sites in most Iraqi provinces on Wednesday in an attempt to block publishing programs. Demonstrations.

The NetBlok Observatory - which specializes in Internet monitoring - about the interruption of the Internet service that the rate of communication fell below 70%, and appeared on social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp disabled in all parts of Iraq except the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

suppression
International and local organizations have expressed concern over the repression of peaceful demonstrators in Iraq, where excessive force against journalists has been used by riot police, which has been condemned by the Iraqi Association for Defending Journalists.

Journalists are facing a ban on covering demonstrations on the scene, and the association has called these measures "illegal" and "inhuman" against journalists and bloggers.

The head of the Association Ibrahim al-Sarraj told Al-Jazeera Net that "a force from the riot service led by a lieutenant colonel arrested a number of bloggers and photographers, and beaten and assaulted them in the center of Baghdad. "We call on the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the Independent Commission for Human Rights to take legal action against those involved."

Protests that began Tuesday in Baghdad and spread in other areas; came out to protest the poor performance of the government, which failed to implement the demands of the demonstrators, such as providing jobs and improving government performance.

dead and wounded
The demonstrations in just two days of violence and violations that led to the deaths of 12 people and injured more than 300 others, according to medical sources, but the number of dead and wounded is increasing with the continued demonstrations across Iraq. Subsequently, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced an investigation into these incidents of violence.

While the presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives went to two parliamentary committees to open an investigation into the events that accompanied the demonstrations, and the Commission on Human Rights in the Iraqi parliament that the suppression of peaceful demonstrations is a wrong response.

Pursuits
Security forces chased demonstrators in the alleys of the Batawin neighborhood in Baghdad in an attempt to end the protests and impose a total curfew in Baghdad at dawn today, but the demonstrators continue their demonstrations.

In the southern city of Basra, a security source announced the killing of the activist Hussein al-Madani with his wife in al-Geneina area (central Basra), by unknown gunmen after storming their apartment in the center of the city.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Jenin Hennes-Blachart, expressed grave concern over the violence that accompanied the demonstrations in Iraq and deeply regretted the victims as a result of the demonstrations, calling for calm.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said security forces "used excessive force, live bullets, tear gas and hot water and beat with batons," and the UN called on the government to respect freedom of expression.