Iraq's economy could reach irreversible lows within the next year unless urgent reform measures are adopted, its finance minister has said. "Reform is inevitable," said Ali Allawi, who is trying to stabilise Iraq's economy after an oil price crash that cut state revenues by half. "If we do not amend the situation throughout the next year, we may face shocks we cannot fix," he told AFP. Iraq's economy is already projected to shrink 10 per cent this year after oil…

Iraq on Thursday summoned Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad to protest Iranian artillery shelling along border areas, a Foreign Ministry statement said, Anadolu Agency reports. At the ministry, Ambassador Iraj Masjedi was handed a protest note over artillery strikes that targeted border villages in the Erbil province of northern Iraq. The statement urged Tehran to respect Iraq’s sovereignty, demanding it stop such strikes and instead seek cooperation in controlling their shared borders. Iran’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday said in a statement that it…

The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq accused the Iraqi government and Shabak militia Thursday of torturing prisoners in jails in Nineveh governorate.    "Detainees in the government’s and militia's prisons in Iraq are subjected to heinous crimes that go against human nature," the association’s general secretariat said in a statement.    "A report issued Wednesday by the Iraqi Center for Documentation of War Crimes revealed extensive human rights violations that are systematically taking place in intelligence prisons in Nineveh…

WASHINGTON - Iran’s favorability rating among Iraqis has hit its lowest point in years, falling below the popular support the United States enjoys in the war-torn country, according to a new poll by an independent agency.    The poll, released Monday, was conducted by the Baghdad-based Independent Institute of Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS), the Iraq representative of the Washington-based Gallup for polling.  “In general, Iraqis neither favor Iran nor the United States, but for the first time in a long time we see the favorability of the…

As it experiences more frequent and severe droughts, sand and dust storms, soil salinization, and declining water resources, Iraq is exceptionally vulnerable to desertification and land degradation. Food shortages sparked by the COVID-19 global pandemic have sent a sobering message for Iraq to urgently protect its fragile land and biodiversity resources. The fertile soil of ancient Mesopotamia gave birth to agriculture thousands of years ago. And agriculture remains deep rooted in modern-day Iraq despite its vast oil reserves. But desertification…

Iraqi protesters say the government has not shown “seriousness” in bringing justice for the hundreds of people killed, wounded or kidnapped during anti-government protests that began last October. Newly appointed Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi vowed to hold to account all those “who shed Iraqi blood” and to unveil the truth about what happened during the months-long protests. Anti-government demonstrations erupted in Baghdad and across the south after angry Iraqis took to the streets to vent their frustrations about corruption,…

A spike in violations of the right to free expression during widespread protests at the end of the former government’s term in office and during the Covid-19 pandemic underscores the need for Iraq’s new government to reform its laws, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Iraqi authorities, including in the Kurdistan Region, have routinely used vaguely worded laws to bring criminal charges against people who express opinions they dislike. The 42-page report, “‘We Might Call You in at Any Time’: Free…

New Government Provides Some Hope as Authorities Crack Down on Activists: As decades of war and occupation come to an end, Iraqis are confronting their new era head on. A massive wave of protests across the country demanding an end to corruption and respect for human rights toppled the government in 2019. With a new prime minister in place who speaks directly to many of the protesters’ concerns, there is some hope the government may finally address some of these…

Angry protesters took to the streets of southern Iraq on Monday to vent their frustration with a lack of public services and employment opportunities, calling for the dismissal of local officials. Hundreds of demonstrators from the southern cities of Najaf, Muthanna, Diwaniyah and Nasiriyah clashed with Iraqi security forces amid a revival of the anti-government protests that erupted last October. “The movement, which is now synchronised between the southern governorates, is now demanding the resignation of officials, especially the dismissal…

New PM promises justice and compensation as he meets families of anti-government protesters Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi said on Friday that an independent “fact-finding” investigation has been launched to provide justice for the hundreds of people killed, wounded or kidnapped during anti-government protests that began last October. “Investigations have begun, and we’ve established a list of victims and another for those wounded. The government will work to compensate their families,” Mr Al Kadhimi said. The United Nations said…