Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces dispersed protesters in al-Rasheed Street in central Baghdad, sources said Saturday.

Arab media quoted the sources as saying that the Iraqi security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters on al-Rashid Street in Baghdad.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Friday it had documented at least 269 people killed and thousands wounded by armed elements during protests in Baghdad and other provinces.

"We are deeply concerned about continuing reports of deaths and injuries as a result of the use of force by security forces against demonstrators, as well as deliberate killings by armed elements in Iraq," Amnesty International spokesman Robert Colville said in a statement.

"Between October 1 and last night, the UNAMI Human Rights Office documented 269 deaths in the course of demonstrations across the country. At least 8000 other people, including members of the security forces, were reportedly injured," he said.

"Accurate casualty figures may be much higher. The majority of casualties were caused by the use of live ammunition by security forces and armed elements, which many described as private militia groups, as well as the unnecessary, disproportionate or inappropriate use of less deadly weapons like tear gas," the spokesman said

The protests continued this week in Baghdad, and deaths and injuries were documented during the demonstrations in Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar and Karbala. Only this morning, we received reports that five demonstrators were killed during demonstrations outside Basra province last night."

"On Wednesday this week, a civil society activist was killed, shot and wounded by armed elements on his way home from a demonstration in Maysan," he noted.

"We are also following reports of multiple arrests of protesters and activists, as well as bloggers and commentators on social media, but there was a lack of transparency, making it difficult to follow up on these reports”.

"We are concerned about reports of the abduction of protesters or volunteers who are assisting in the demonstrations," the spokesman said, calling for "immediate investigation into these allegations and clarification of the whereabouts of those missing and those responsible."

"I am disturbed by the statement of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary in Iraq that the federal anti-terrorism law will apply to those who resort to violence, vandalism of public property and use firearms against security forces - these terrorist acts can be punishable by execution," he said.

The statement urged "the Iraqi government to ensure its commitment to protect the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. This means taking preventive steps to protect demonstrators from armed elements, as well as issuing clear instructions to the security forces to abide by international standards and norms relating to the use of force, including, for example, an explicit ceasefire or the use of tear gas canisters directly against the demonstrators. "

"We call on the authorities to take firm steps towards a meaningful dialogue in Iraq, to ​​assess many grievances and to work with a wide range of actors to find a sustainable solution to the many challenges that Iraq faces. We are ready to help," the UN spokesman said.