Al-Kadhimi takes unprecedented steps towards the victims of the demonstrations
Shafaq News / Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered on Monday the formation of a government committee to document the number of victims of popular anti-government demonstrations and the ruling political class, in an unprecedented official move.
" Al-Kadhimi instructed to form a committee to put an accurate list of the names of the martyrs, the wounded, and the handicapped who fall in the popular protests, whether protesters or security forces," Al-Kadhimi's office said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency.
"The planned list will cover the period from October 1, 2019 to the 18th of May and it will be published in the media and adopted as a basis for honoring the martyrs and compensating the families of the victims."
" Al-Kadhimi entrusted a specialized committee linked to his office with the task of preparing this list in cooperation with various state institutions and Iraqi and international organizations so as to ensure the accuracy of the information contained therein."
The statement added that "this list, upon its completion, is the first Iraqi official effort to document the victims of the protests."
"The completion of this list comes in fulfillment of one of the basic promises contained in the ministerial curriculum of Al-Kadimi’s government, which the parliament voted on 7th of current May regarding the initiation of a comprehensive campaign of investigation and accountability regarding the violent events that accompanied the protests, take care of the families of the martyrs and treat the wounded."
The protests against Adel Abdul Mahdi government and the influential parties began in October 2019, and were marred by widespread violence that left between 500 and 600 dead and tens of thousands wounded.
Most of the victims of the protests are demonstrators who fell in confrontations with the security forces and fighters of some of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) factions close to Iran, as dozens of activists were killed in assassinations by unknown gunmen.
On March 17, Corona pandemic halted the nationwide protest movement, but it resumed again on a limited scale, to pressure Kadhimi’s government to fulfill its pledges.
