Residents of Mosul's Bab Sinjar complex protest eviction orders, auction plans

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Residents of the Bab Sinjar housing complex on the right bank of Mosul have protested eviction orders and a plan to auction off the apartments. The residents warned authorities that selling the homes would force hundreds of needy families, martyrs' relatives and displaced people into renewed displacement. Protesters said the complex contains around 320 apartments currently housing the families of martyrs, widows, patients and low-income residents. They said they have periodically received notices demanding high rent payments or ordering them to vacate the units, adding that social welfare allowances are insufficient to cover the proposed rent or secure alternative housing. The residents have called on Mosul's governorate and relevant authorities to waive the rent and transfer ownership of the apartments to the occupants on a permanent basis. They said meeting those demands is the only way to prevent further displacement and ensure housing stability for the families. It was not immediately clear which authority issued the eviction notices or scheduled the auction, and no official response was reported.