Poland in Iraq

Press Statement – Embassies of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Union delegation to Iraq wish to express their deep concern at the recent escalation of violence against Iraqi civil society activists. We condemn, in particular, the recent targeted assassinations of activists in Basra and Baghdad amid a systematic campaign of public threats and intimidation.

 

Civic activism is a cornerstone of representative and accountable government and must be protected. We urge all Iraqi leaders to join us in condemning these violent acts, and we call on them to take steps to ensure those responsible are punished to the full extent of the law.

 

We welcome Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi’s pledge to end impunity for such crimes, and reiterate our support to his willingness to reassert the authority of the State, including by bringing armed groups under the control of the State.