Basra provincial council asks cabinet to grant martyr status to killed Iraqi fisherman

BASRA, Iraq — The Basra Provincial Council has submitted a request to the Iraqi Council of Ministers asking that a fisherman killed in a recent incident be granted martyr status. Council head Khalaf Latfe al-Badran told a press conference after the council's 60th regular session that the meeting was dedicated to the fishermen's file and included a review of Governor Asaad al-Idani's recent official visit to Kuwait. Badran said the foreign and defense ministries were reminded of their authority over relations with neighboring countries. Governor al-Idani told the council that the local administration had presented the full details of its talks in Kuwait, while the federal government has been handling the matter through a high-level delegation that includes the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, the national security adviser and other officials. Al-Idani said the council adopted the request for martyr status for the slain fisherman and is awaiting the Council of Ministers' formal decision. He noted that Basra, Iraq's only coastal city on the Gulf, faces particular challenges in protecting its fishermen because of its shorelines bordering Kuwait and Iran, adding that Iraqi fishermen are also detained in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The governor said falling water levels in wetlands have pushed more fishermen out to sea. He proposed forming a joint commission of the provincial council, local administration and federal bodies, and reviewing options for coordinated patrols with neighboring countries and modern surveillance methods.