Amnesty International has highlighted the persistent failure of successive Iraqi governments to deliver justice, truth, and reparation for the lethal crackdown on the 2019 Tishreen protests. In a recently published report titled “We hold them responsible for the blood of our youth”, the organization examines the ongoing neglect and impunity five years after nationwide demonstrations resulted in hundreds of deaths, disappearances, and thousands of injuries among protesters.
The Tishreen demonstrations, which began on October 1, 2019, saw massive numbers of Iraqis demanding job opportunities, improved public services, and the end of government corruption. Despite the clear calls for systemic change, Amnesty International claims there has been a stark contrast between the scale of serious human rights violations committed and the meager attempts at accountability. Out of 2,700 criminal investigations opened, only 10 arrest warrants have been issued, and merely seven convictions have been handed down.
Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, remarked on the five-year anniversary of the protests:
The five-year anniversary of the nation-wide Tishreen protests is a stark reminder of ongoing entrenched impunity coupled with the Iraqi authorities’ lack of political will to ensure justice, truth and reparation to victims, survivors and their relatives for crimes under international law and other grave human rights violations committed by security forces and affiliated militias during and in the aftermath of the protests.
The report, based on interviews with 56 survivors, witnesses, and victims’ families, documents instances of intimidation and reprisals against those seeking justice. For example, activist Sajjad al-Iraqi, reportedly abducted in September 2020, has a family that continues to face threats in their search for him.
While the government reported compensating 504 families for deaths during the protests, injured protesters face significant bureaucratic hurdles to access compensation. The organization’s findings suggest that successive Iraqi governments have formed numerous committees to investigate protest-related incidents, but the effectiveness of these measures remains highly questionable.
The report also sheds light on recent legislative proposals, such as a protest law reintroduced to Parliament in May 2023 and a draft NGO law, both of which have been criticized by civil society representatives for potentially further restricting civic freedoms.
Amnesty International’s report corroborates the findings of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance’s (CED) April 2023 mission to Iraq. The committee reported ongoing abductions and arbitrary detentions, with many protesters still forcibly disappeared. The CED had received 28 urgent action requests concerning individuals involved in the 2019 protests.
The report concludes with a call for Iraqi authorities to undertake thorough investigations into protest-related incidents, establish a national database of disappeared persons, and ensure any legislation on enforced disappearances aligns with international standards. Proper measures are needed to prevent future human rights violations and address the root causes that led to the 2019 protests.
In a related development, Human Rights Watch and other organizations issued a statement on October 2, 2023, highlighting cases of enforced disappearances linked to the protests, involving activists like Abdel-Messih Romeo Jean Sarkis and Osama al-Tamimi, and called for the implementation of UNCED recommendations.