Published:
10 may 2021 04:42 GMT
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Protesters accuse Iranian militias of the murder of Ihab al-Wazni.
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The death of Iraqi protester Ihab al-Wazni sparked strong protests in the city of Kerbala, local media report.
Ihab al-Wazni was killed this Sunday by armed people traveling by motorcycle. Participants in the protests accused Iranian armed groups of this crime, blocked roads near the city and did not allow Wazni’s body to be buried until the police found the murderers. reports Middle East Eye.
The Kerbala Governorate Police promised to identify the perpetrators of the crime and the funeral of the deceased was held.
However, the promise of the uniformed men did not stop the protests, which continued in the main square and the streets of the city. Middle East Eye reports, citing police and protest leaders, that approximately 300 protesters gathered near the Iranian Consulate to assault it. “Young people have gathered in front of the governorate building in the center of the city and blocked main roads with burning tires, while a group of them went to the Iranian Consulate to burn it,” said Ahmed al-Banaa, a protester and friend of the deceased activist. .
Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reports that the participants in the protests set fire to the entrances and doors of the consulate.
Angry protesters in Wasit, Iraq gather to protest the assassination of Ihab Al-Wazni, a prominent Iraqi activist in Karbala pic.twitter.com/6I7OyN4tc4
— Steven Nabil (@thestevennabil) May 9, 2021
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International reaction
The American Embassy in Baghdad condemned “in the strongest terms” the murder of the activist. “Silencing independent voices through violence is unacceptable,” reads a message on his Facebook account. The Embassy also offered condolences to the family of the deceased and stressed that “they will continue to support those who seek a peaceful and prosperous future for Iraq.”
The British Ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, also condemned the killing, saying that “impunity for the killing of activists since October 2019 only led to more deaths.” “There is a need to take concrete steps to hold the perpetrators accountable and protect Iraqi citizens as they prepare for the elections in October,” wrote on his Twitter account.
Participants in the protests, which broke out in October 2019, called for reforms of the Iraqi political system, as well as an end to corruption and foreign interference.
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