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

Vox Populi, Vox Dei
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

Belgium’s Nestor of opposition politics, Filip Dewinter: “Western European civilisation as we know it will cease to exist”

Flemish nationalist politician Filip Dewinter is Belgium’s most famous right-wing politician. With 40 years of […]
- by The Liberum on 09/07/2025

Donald Trump’s return marks a chance for Europe’s Renaissance

The return of Donald Trump to the White House marks a turning point not only […]

The Client List that Disappeared

And so vanishes the last plume of smoke from the smouldering Epstein file. No client […]

Damascus: Birthplace and Graveyard of the Ottoman Dream

The disintegration of the Ottoman Empire (1922) marked a moment of collective loss for much […]

Being well-connected does not always lead to career growth

Conventional wisdom says that when it comes to career growth, it’s not about what you […]

Rebirth – Gareth Edwards, the dino comeback kid

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) has received a lot of criticism, and undeservedly so. It’s actually […]