Baghdad Protest: Iraqi Center Reports Security Forces Beat Former Graduates

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Hundreds of former graduates gathered in Baghdad's Allawi district on Monday, near the entrance to the Green Zone, to demand government appointments, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Center. The center said security forces beat and mistreated the protesters during the demonstration. Ali el-Abbadi, the center's president, said in a statement that footage from the protest violated constitutional and international guarantees for peaceful assembly. Abbadi called on Prime Minister Ali Faleh ez-Zeydi and Interior Ministry officials to open an urgent and transparent investigation. The center also demanded legal proceedings against those allegedly responsible for the violations. The Iraqi Human Rights Center further called on the government and parliament to address the former graduates' demands. No further details were immediately available.