I Introduction
Pursuant to its mandate to promote accountability and the protection of human rights, UNAMI is closely monitoring ongoing demonstrations in Iraq.1 It is UNAMI’s third report on this subject and it follows UNAMI’s Special Report on Demonstrations in Iraq (1-9 October), issued on 22 October 2019, and Special Report: Demonstrations in Iraq: update (25 October-4 November), issued on 5 November 2019.Based on 183 monitoring interviews conducted from 5 November to 8 December with sources having direct and secondary knowledge of demonstrations across Iraq, this report outlines human rights concerns related to ongoing demonstrations with an emphasis on the period of 5 November to 8 December.
Preliminary findings indicate that human rights violations and abuses continued during the period covered by the report, including unlawful, improper and excessive use of (lethal and less-lethal) force as well as illtreatment and violations of procedural rights of arrested demonstrators.3 UNAMI continued to receive credible allegations of deliberate killings, abduction and arbitrary detention carried out by unknown armed men described as: ‘militia’, ‘unknown third parties’, ‘armed entities’, ‘outlaws’ and ‘spoilers’.
During the reporting period 170 deaths and 2,264 injuries were recorded. 4 These figures should be considered preliminary: contrary to practice in the past, the Government did not permit UNAMI to obtain official hospital statistical data concerning demonstrations related casualties or visit hospitals to interview victims.