Iraqi PM al-Kadhimi directs investigation into acts of violence after protester killed by security forces on Tuesday

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced an investigation into violence that erupted during popular protests in Baghdad. Dozens were left wounded and one protest dead after Iraqi Security Forces opened fire on demonstrators with live ammunition on Tuesday.

Al-Kadhimi stated via Twitter that “We supported the freedom of peaceful protest in Iraq, and we issued strict orders for the protection of demonstrations, restraint, and forbade the use of live bullets for any reason whatsoever.”

“Today, we will open a transparent investigation about what happened in the last moments of the Tahrir Square demonstration,” he added. “Security is everyone’s responsibility, and we must all share in preserving it.”

The government’s Security Media Cell stated that, “The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has directed an urgent investigation, headed by the Joint Operations Command and the membership of officers from the Ministries of Defense and Interior, to investigate the circumstances of the events that accompanied the demonstrations on May 25th and to hold those responsible accountable.”

On Tuesday, Tahrir Square in central Baghdad witnessed hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators flocking to participate in central demonstrations against corruption and to demand the disclosure of the results of previous investigations into the killings of demonstrators and activists.

Some 600 demonstrators have been killed since the beginning of protests in October 2019.

The moment security forces opened fire to disperse protesters in #baghdad pic.twitter.com/HjRAJAMNZU

— Steven Nabil (@thestevennabil) May 25, 2021