The European Union is “concerned” about “excessive violence” in Iraq and speaks of involving armed entities

The European Union is “concerned” about “excessive violence” in Iraq and speaks of involving armed entities



2019/10/28 12:05:54
 
On Monday, the European Union mission in Iraq expressed concern over the violence that accompanied the Iraqi protests, calling on the government to hold all those responsible for abuses accountable.

"The violence used during the recent wave of protests in Iraq is a major concern for the EU," the mission said in a statement.

"Despite many calls for restraint, recent days have witnessed more regrettable losses of many lives and many injuries among demonstrators, in addition to the destruction of public and private property," the statement added.

UNAMI commended the efforts made by the Iraqi government to implement its commitment to deal with the protests in a peaceful manner “despite the fact that there have been cases of excessive use of violence”.

"The unacceptable incursion of armed entities into these events undermines the right to peaceful assembly and expression of legitimate demands and weakens efforts by security forces to maintain the security of the protests," the statement said.

The Mission called on all political parties and parties to act “responsibly” and within their respective roles to initiate a “constructive” dialogue to advance the interest of all citizens of Iraq, as well as urging the Iraqi Parliament to take responsibility in this regard.

UNAMI expressed its readiness to continue to support Iraq in working to meet “legitimate” citizens' demands to “bring change, end corruption, improve public services, strengthen governance and create an environment conducive to development and employment”.

Since Friday, protests in Iraq have killed 80 people and wounded more than 3,000.

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