Amnesty International today called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure that investigations into the violence, including security forces’ use of firearms, which resulted in the deaths of protesters in the city of Basra, southern Iraq, are thorough, independent, impartial and effective. The organization further called on the authorities to bring those suspected to be responsible to justice in fair trials.
Amnesty International also urged Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to publicly instruct security forces to avoid the use of excessive force when policing protests and to reiterate that the heavy handed and use of excessive force will not be tolerated.