November 05, 2024 12:22 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Pakistan's Lahore has become world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1900 on Sunday | Indian Army 'successfully completes' patrolling to a key point in Ladakh's Depsang region | US presidential election: Donald Trump ahead of Kamala Harris in swing states, poll survey predicts | 'I strongly condemn Hindu temple attack, intimidation of our diplomats': PM Modi amid Canada row | 'I strongly condemn Hindu temple attack, intimidation of our diplomats': PM Modi amid Canada row
Deliberate silencing of peaceful voices in Iraq ‘unacceptable’, says UN human rights chief
Human Rights
Photo caption and credit: Unsplash/Dalia Mu Protesters in Liberation Square, Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.

Deliberate silencing of peaceful voices in Iraq ‘unacceptable’, says UN human rights chief

| @indiablooms | 28 Aug 2020, 04:09 pm

New York: A new UN report launched on Thursday highlights human rights violations and abuses that were committed during recent demonstrations in Iraq and calls for immediate action for justice.

“This report sheds light on the suffering and provides concrete recommendations to help rebuild public trust”, said UN Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

Rising unemployment, years of corruption and failing public services had sparked massive protests last October.

Despite promising steps by the current Government, the report, Human Rights Violations and Abuses in the Context of Demonstrations in Iraq, cites actions and omissions in handling the demonstrations during the time when they began up until April.

The report recommends protection measures for demonstrators and redress for victims.

Defending the defenders

Some of those targeted were described the report as influential in their local community in mobilizing protesters, or supportive of protests on social or national media.

“Of great concern is the continued targeting and killing of activists and human rights defenders”,  she contintued. “This is not random violence but a deliberate silencing of peaceful voices, coupled with the total impunity enjoyed by perpetrators”.

Demystifying the situation

Based on more than 900 interviews with victims, relatives, witnesses, journalists and civic and political activists, the Human Rights Office of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) documented that at least 487 people were killed and 7,715 injured during the protests – mostly young men.

The report highlights a pattern of excessive force, including live ammunition, when dealing with protesters along with abductions and attacks by so-called unidentified armed actors.

And with some 3,000 demonstrators detained, concerns have mounted over arbitrary detentions and ill-treatment.

“Without accountability, the crimes committed will remain mere statistics, numbers on a page”, warned the UN Special Representative.

Free expression squelched

The right to freedom of expression was also severely curtailed, with frequent internet blackouts, raided news outlets and journalists assaulted, harassed and arbitrarily detained, their material confiscated or deleted.

“People were killed, injured, tortured and mistreated, kidnapped, disappeared, arbitrarily detained, for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet,

“This is unacceptable”, she stressed.

More work ahead

Since taking office in May, the current Government has taken welcome steps to establish an independent investigative body and offer some redress for the victims and their families, but much more needs to be done.

“Everyone has the right to peacefully demonstrate and to publicly express their frustration at not being able to provide for themselves and their families”, Ms. Bachelet underscored.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia 22 Mar 2023, 02:56 pm
Related Videos