US blacklists Iraqi leader for 'incitement' of violent protests

Image credits: Iraqi Hezbullah supports in solidarity with slain revolutionary guard leader

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an Iraqi militia leader and former national security adviser, connecting him to human rights abuses during the 2019 anti-government demonstrations in which hundreds of protesters were killed.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement it was blacklisting Falih al-Fayyadh, chairman of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC).

The Treasury accused him of being part of a crisis cell formed in late 2019 to suppress protests with the support of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, which is blacklisted by the United States.

Washington said al-Fayyadh was the head of the PMC when forces under its command fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters in 2019, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Iraq’s biggest anti-government protests in decades broke out in October 2019 and continued for several months, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis demanding jobs, services and the removal of the ruling elite, which they said was corrupt.

Nearly 500 people were killed. The protests caused the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

“By directing and supervising the murder of peaceful Iraqi demonstrators, Iran-aligned militants and politicians such as Falih al-Fayyadh have been waging a violent campaign against Iraqi democracy and civil society,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

“The United States will continue to hold accountable human rights abusers in Iraq who aim to deny the Iraqi people in their efforts to peacefully protest, seek justice, and root out corruption in their country.”

Source: Reuters

 

The Liberum

The subtitle of The Liberum ("the voice of the people is the voice of God") reflects the concept that the collective opinions and will of the people carry divine importance. They embody truth and wisdom, particularly in a non-partisan marketplace that profiles itself as a marketplace of free ideas and thoughts.
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

Zelensky’s Fatal Mistake – The Missed Opportunity of April 2022

In April 2022, a roadmap to peace lay on the table. In Istanbul, Russia and […]

China’s gains won’t topple the West - yet

China’s rise as a global power is no longer a distant prospect – it is […]
- by Ahsan Ali on 04/09/2025

The Crumbling Legacy of a diluted Free South Africa

In post-apartheid South Africa, where the African National Congress (ANC) under the late former president […]
- by The Liberum on 02/09/2025

Why the Darkest Characters Lead the Smartest Minds on the Right

Something tragic is unfolding on the intellectual right. At a time when some of the […]

The Blah Conspiracy – From Sidney Sheldon to Chuck Norris

Just watched an atrocious movie the other day, Sidney Sheldon’s Bloodline (1979). I only did […]
- by Rafael Baroch on 01/09/2025

ESSAY: Notes from inside the Pyramid of Care

We were promised care. Not love, not freedom, not even happiness – just care—a modest […]