New Iraqi PM arrests those who killed protester, affirms right to peaceful dissent

In one of his first acts as prime minister, Iraq’s Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday ordered the arrest of several men in connection with shooting death Sunday of an anti-government protester.

“Under my direction, our security forces carried out operations to detain those behind assaulting protesters in Basra, based on judicial warrants,” al-Kadhimi tweeted on Monday. “I promised that those who have spilled Iraqi blood will not be allowed to rest and we are honoring that promise.”

The accused men allegedly belong to the Iran-aligned Thaar Allah party. Some of them reportedly opened fire on protesters over the weekend in the southern province of Basra. The assailants, described as militiamen, reportedly killed one and injured several others. Iraqi security forces arrested five militiamen, and seized weapons and ammunition, the Basra police chief confirmed.

The arrests followed al-Kadhimi’s inaugural cabinet meeting on Saturday, and came in the wake of Sunday’s order to release prisoners who were jailed last year for staging anti-government protests. 

“We directed the security forces to release all demonstrators detained during recent protests, except for those accused of violent crimes,” al-Kadhimi wrote yesterday on Twitter. “We also directed that peaceful protestors must be protected.”

Also during his first Cabinet meeting, the new prime minister installed a respected general, Abdul Wahab al-Saadi, as head of the country’s counterterrorism service. 

Credited with being a key figure in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, al-Saadi abruptly was demoted last fall by the former prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi. The demotion was among the things that triggered anti-government protests throughout Iraq in October. 

Those protests are protected, the new prime minister said this weekend, affirming that Iraqis are free to protest within the law.

“We are committed to fulfilling our promises to the Iraqi people,” al-Kadhimi wrote today on Twitter. “We will protect the right to protest and protestors, hold to account those involved in perpetrating acts of violence against them, carry out reforms, and conduct free and fair elections.”

Previously the head of his country's intelligence services, al-Kadhimi was appointed prime minister in April. Known for his strong relationships with regional powers and the United States, he was the third candidate to be nominated for the position since his predecessor resigned in November of 2019. 

Born in Baghdad, al-Kadhimi frequently has advocated for reform in Iraq.