BAMRO

On  February 12th,2016 demonstrators came out in the city of Nasiriyah around four o'clock in the evening through coordination with other provinces where protesters came out at the same time in various places in these different provinces .

Indeed, demonstrators marched from the usual starting point of demonstration in Haboubi Square in Nasiriyah city center to Dhi Qar Provincial Council to make their voice audible to the local government.

        At the beginning of their march to the provincial council, specifically near the Education Directorate of Dhi Qar , the peaceful protesters were stopped by  security forces led by (Dean police Mackie Suncor) . The latter ordered the powers of anti-riot to detain protesters precisely 200 meters close the Islamic Dawa Party office where a group of masked men came out of the office and started assaulting, and hitting them by electric sticks and batons in the presence of the security services that did not opt for any intervention to prevent the masked men from hitting the demonstrators.

      Accordingly, the protestors accused police Brigadier Mackie Suncor of collaboration with the masked men because he belongs to the same party mentioned above. This attack took place after demonstrators had protested in front of the Islamic Dawa Party headquarters the two previous Fridays. Indeed, a large number of demonstrators reported that the former Sports and Youth director “Mr. Karim Disher” was the leader of the  masked group because he too belongs to the cadres of the Dawa Party. Actually, Mr. Karim Disher’s  image has appeared in a lot of pictures and videos that leaked through the media and social networking. He was, actually, near the masked men and even gave them orders to attack  the demonstrators and beat several of them.

Mr. Karim Disher raised a lawsuit against the leaders of the demonstrations in Nasiriyah at Dhi Qar Court .Likewise, according to the documented information we have received, the Islamic Dawa Party’s Office also raised a lawsuit against a number  of names  that were  prominent  leaders of the demonstrations .

While investigations by the security services still continue, a large number of demonstrators showed fears of illegal arrests issued against them especially that the Iraqi constitution has guaranteed for all Iraqis the right to demonstrate and protest.

Last Friday 19th,2016, the city of Nasiriyah witnessed the arrival of large numbers of demonstrators from nine Iraqi governorates (Baghdad - Basra - Babylon - Karbala - Najaf - Diwaniyah - Samawa - Maysan - Wasit) to declare absolute solidarity with the demonstrators in the city of Nasiriyah, and to claim, via   unified cheers, that the Iraqi masses’ demands constitute a legitimate right , and that the attacks on the protesters in Nasiriyah mean an assault on demonstrators in all other  provinces. Surprisingly enough, the local government both in its executive and legislative sides presented by the Diwan of the province and the provincial council have been tight-lipped and preferred not to issue any statement of denouncing or condemning the attacks though the number of the injured reached eleven in Nasiriyah.

Based on all the above elements, and on the available evidence and testimony of witnesses as well as on the reports of the victims, the International Belgian Organization for Human Rights and Development directly accuses:

-First: Brigadier Police Mackie Suncor ; the security official in the province of Nasiriyah.

-Second: the ruling Dawa party's office in Nasiriyah

-Third: Karim Disher ; former director of Sports and Youth.

All of whom are accused of assaulting peaceful demonstrators, and of providing moral and material support to criminal gangs to kill and terrorize the peaceful demonstrators. Besides, the organization holds them all responsible for the protection and safety of the demonstrators.

Accordingly, the Belgian international organization issued an urgent appeal to the high commissioner and to the UN committees in charge to legally follow the accused, and to bring them to justice as well as to provide necessary protection to the peaceful demonstrators.

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