The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said it expresses fears of clashes between security personnel and demonstrators in the province of Basra during the demonstrations scheduled to start again next week to protest the poor conditions in the province.
The Observatory also said that "these fears come after renewed demonstrations demanding rights and services, especially after the security forces arrested five people participated in the demonstration, as well as the injury of three demonstrators, and two officers of the security forces.
The demonstrations in the province of Basra over the past eight months have undoubtedly confirmed that the Iraqi security forces used excessive violence against demonstrators, and relied on light and medium weapons and tear gas to disperse them.
Despite the promise of the head of the security committee in the Basra provincial council Jabbar al-Saadi to open an investigation into the incident and to account for the defaulters, but that four days after the incident did not accuse any of the security elements.
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights that "the cases of repeated assault and deliberate killing that affect the demonstrators in all governorates of Iraq, during the demonstrations peaceful sit-ins, cannot but be within the behaviors of intimidation of citizens to stop claiming their rights".
He also said that "the Iraqi government is very slow in punishing the perpetrators of violations against demonstrators, and could not achieve justice to the families of victims and compensate them morally for the loss of their children".
There are dozens of investigative committees set up by the Iraqi government, all of which were canceled and did not reach the results of the indirect and obtuse of the killers, and contributed to the absence of justice and lack of respect for the rights of victims and their families.
The Observatory demanded that human rights regulations be observed in applying the rules of disbanding the demonstrators, He warned against neglecting the legitimate demands of the demonstrators, especially that all the demands of the demonstrators are legitimate, including the provision of basic services and job opportunities, the improvement of the service and economic situation, the treatment of environmental pollution, the fight against administrative corruption and the implementation of reforms including the dismissal of officials in the local government.
According to information received by the Observatory, the security forces confronted demonstrators gathered in front of the governorate building on 6 March 2019, to demonstrate peacefully, liquefied gas and live bullets to disperse them, and then chase them to the alleys in areas near the province.
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights "Basra has been witnessing since the summer of last year angry protests demanding the provision of services, primarily drinking water and electricity, and developed to the intervention of security forces, resulting in the deaths of demonstrators and wounded security forces, and burned the headquarters of political parties and government buildings In addition to the Iranian consulate.
According to previous reports, the victims of the protests amounted to about 15 people, and about 200 injured, during the protests last summer, amid fears of renewed violence with renewed protests, without progress on the implementation of the demands by the central and local governments.
The Observatory also said that "the right to peaceful demonstration is one of the main principles that democratic constitutions are almost free to dictate, which is the most civilized way to pressure governments to peacefully implement the demands of the demonstrators".
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights urged the Iraqi government to provide necessary protection to the demonstrators in the province of Basra and to prevent repeated attacks on them.
"It is the responsibility of the government to protect the demonstrators not to assault and arrest them, these are peaceful demonstrations and should be dealt with by peaceful means," the Observatory said.
