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| Iraq |
| Al-Wazni assassination: International reactions pouring in |
| 2021-05-10 |
| [SHAFAQ] Only a few hours have elapsed since the liquidation of the Responsible for the Coordination of the Civil Movement in Karbala Ihab Jawad Mohammed al-Wazni, but international reactions are already pouring in, strongly condemning the crime and demanding that the Iraqi authorities hold the perpetrators of the crimes accountable in the shortest delay possible. Earlier today, two anonymous individuals riding a cycle of violence bumped off al-Wazni in front of his home situated on the street of al-Haddad in the city center. Internal protests arose after the liquidation of al-Wazni. Hundreds of people erupted into the streets of Karbala early morning to protest against liquidations and the pursuit of activists in the "October Movement," which opposes the government in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. Regionally and internationally, the American embassy released a statement to Shafaq News Agency in which it said that the It added, "The US expresses its deepest sympathies to the family of the victim, and stands in solidarity with those who are seeking a bright, flourishing and peaceful future for Iraq". The Canadian ambassador to Iraq, Ulric Shannon, tweeted, "Terrorizing civil society and destabilizing the safety of the candidates before the election is not permissible." He added, "Canada is committed to helping the Iraqi people achieve their ambitions of a peaceful change through honest and transparent elections." In turn, the British ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, condemned on Sunday the liquidation of the Iraqi activist, Ihab al-Wazni, tweeting, "Impunity for the killing of activists since October 2019 has only led to more deaths; The need for concrete measures holding perpetrators accountable and protecting Iraqi citizens as they prepare for the elections in October is urgent". Ihab al-Wazni, the Responsible for the Coordination of the protests in Karbala, is known in most of the circles that oppose corruption and mismanagement and call for the limitation of Iran's influence and gangs around Iraq. The HCHR had previously condemned the liquidation of al-Wazni, insisting that the resurgence of liquidations is an indicator of the failure of the security institution to protect citizens. Following this event, Prime Minister al-Kadhimi issued directives for the prompt investigation of the crime, adding, "the killers of al-Wazni are deeply involved in crime and those who think that they will escape from the grip of justice are deluded. We shall pursue the perpetrators of the crime and bring to justice anyone who attempts to destabilize public security." This liquidation is part of a long list of liquidations perpetrated against activists, journalists, and bloggers, including strategic specialist Hisham al-Hashemi. In August of 2020, the Iraqi government announced the killing of 560 protesters and security officers in the demonstrations that swooped the country, including dozens of activists assassinated by anonymous perpetrators. |
| Posted by:Fred |