Iraq: 319 people killed since protests began

The number of civilians and security forces killed in protests in Iraq since last month has risen to 319, the Iraqi Human Rights Commission said on Friday.

In a statement released yesterday, the commission said it was able to document the death of these people through official sources, noting that it could not ascertain the number of those wounded during the protests. However, independent human rights organizations confirmed earlier that 8,000 people had been wounded.

The commission called on the authorities and political blocs to cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and provide them with the correct data on the demonstrations to allow it to perform its duties.

It added that authorities still lack the ability to manage the protests, expressing “deep concerns about snipers and unidentified individuals who shot at protesters using hunting rifles in addition to the explosion of sound bombs near the demonstrations.”

OHCHR announced on Saturday that the death toll during the protests had reached 269, with at least 8,000 wounded.