US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the Iraqi government to listen to what he called the rightful demands of the Iraqi people, as mass demonstrations against corruption and political and economic reforms continue.
In a press release distributed by the US Embassy in Baghdad to the media, Pompeo also called on the Iraqi government to ease its recent restrictions on media and freedom of expression.
He said all sides must renounce violence, and said the Iraqi government's investigation into the violence in early October was "not credible enough," saying the Iraqi people deserved genuine accountability and justice.
He was referring to a report published by the Iraqi government more than a week ago on the circumstances of the deaths of about 160 demonstrators, and then met with criticism from several political forces.
In the first wave of demonstrations early last month, the US secretary of state asked the Iraqi government to respect the demands of the demonstrators and to exercise the utmost restraint towards the protesters.
For the eighth consecutive day, the Iraqi capital Baghdad and a number of southern provinces Friday demonstrations and protests to demand the fight against corruption and political and economic reform.