IRAQ: Security forces prevent access of the media and citizens to participate in the Baghdede protest

BAGHDEDE, Iraq — In response to the call of Council of Nineveh Archbishops and political parties of Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people, a protest was held in Baghdede, Iraq to convey the demands of Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people to the Iraqi government.

The protest included Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Mor Benedict Younan Hinno, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul and Aqrah Mor Michael Najeeb, priests of the archdiocese, representatives of parties of Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people and a large crowd of residents.

At the beginning of the protest, archbishop Hinno delivered a speech in which he informed the official and security authorities about the protest. Despite that, the security forces prevented the media and citizens from entering the Baghdede Center and participating in the protest.

The archbishop pointed out that this is a silencing incident, and demanded the Iraqi Prime Minister to put an end to such practices.

The demands were handed over to Mayor of Baghdede Issam Behnam Matti, who delivered a speech.

He thanked the protest participants and pledged to deliver the demands to the Nineveh Governor, to in turn deliver them to the Iraqi Prime Minister.

Earlier, the Council of Archbishops and the five political parties of Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people held a protest to stop the demographic change, legislate a fair electoral law and stop confiscating property of people Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian in the Nineveh Plain.