Iraqi lawyer files complaint against Hadi Amiri over October 2019 protest remarks

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A lawyer filed a formal criminal complaint on Wednesday with the Wasit Public Prosecution against Hadi Amiri, secretary-general of the Badr Organization and leader of the Coordination Framework, calling for his questioning over remarks concerning the 2019 October protests. In the petition, lawyer Hazem Mazin al-Badri cited circulated footage in which Amiri stated that the "muqawama" (resistance) had protected the state and political system against the "Tishreen sedition," a term used by some Iraqi officials to describe the protest movement. Al-Badri argued that the statement should trigger an investigation into whether groups referred to as "muqawama" took part in attacks or repressive acts against demonstrators, or were involved in activities that caused fatalities and injuries during the protests. The complaint requests that Amiri be summoned for questioning, that the original footage be added to the case file, and that the new investigation be compared with previous inquiries into the protest violence. It also asks prosecutors to examine whether groups described as "muqawama" participated in assaults on protesters and contributed to casualties during the demonstrations. The October 2019 protests began in Baghdad's eastern districts and several southern cities before spreading, after a brief pause, to Tahrir Square and public squares in central and southern Iraq. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators. No further details on the complaint were immediately available.