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The crises in Iraq extend beyond those with limited income to include individuals with degrees.

The severity of the crises in Iraq has escalated, exacerbating the conditions of low-income citizens, and extending to graduates, significantly impacting their lives. Many citizens struggle with inadequate income and face challenges in living with dignity, while economic and social pressures continue to mount. Providing an accurate and objective description of the situation in Iraq highlights the concerning economic, administrative, and service conditions that fail to meet the aspirations of citizens. The persistence of these crises may have adverse effects on the overall situation in Iraq. This report will review the demonstrations monitored by observation teams during March 2024 in several Iraqi governorates.

The crises in Iraq are affecting the displaced people.

An attempt to describe the situation in Iraq accurately and objectively gives us a negative indication of the economic, administrative, and service conditions in Iraq, as they are heading in a direction that does not meet the aspirations of citizens in general. During this period, the crises have extended to the category of displaced people, who were already suffering from multiple crises. This situation may have negative effects on the overall conditions in Iraq. This report will review the protests monitored by monitoring teams during the month of February 2024 in several Iraqi provinces.

Iraq begins its new year with a series of demonstrations.

Iraq ushered in the new year with a wave of demonstrations, as citizens voiced their demands for the provision of basic rights and expressed criticism of the prevailing conditions in the country. Despite the initial optimism among Iraqis that the new year would bring positive changes to their lives, the early indicators did not reinforce this sentiment. Instead, disappointments emerged, becoming evident in the first month of the year. This report will review the demonstrations that were monitored by the observation team during the first half of January 2024 in various Iraqi governorates.

Iraq is between internal and external crises and demands calling for reform

Iraq is about to bid farewell to another year full of crises. Iraq concluded this year with the launch of several demonstrations in several Iraqi provinces calling for reform and attention to the living conditions of citizens. The crises that Iraq went through during the year 2023 were not different from the rest of the years that passed. However,

Continuing strikes and looming crises in Iraq

The humanitarian situation in Iraq involves great challenges for citizens. The Iraqi people, who had hoped for an improvement in their standard of living after the end of decades of war, are on the verge of bidding farewell to another year without the fulfillment of the demand they called for and are still calling for years, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Who is still suffering from delayed financial dues, which have hurt his economic life and livelihood in general?

The crisis of paying late salaries raises employee condemnation again

The difficult living conditions experienced by government employees in the region have become burdensome on their shoulders. With the rise in the price of the dollar compared to the Iraqi dinar, living conditions have become worse. The delay in paying salaries to employees resulted in their abstention and failure to perform their duties and job obligations, especially employees working in the educational sector, which negatively affected the education situation in general. This matter will undoubtedly have negative consequences on the future of education in the country.

Economic conditions and events in Palestine continue to inflame the Iraqi street

The ongoing economic challenges and events in Palestine have continued to be the catalyst for street protests in Iraq. The tragic civilian casualties and distressing occurrences in Palestine have left a profound impact on the overall psyche of Iraqi citizens. As a consequence of the hardships faced by the nation, the ongoing conflict in Palestine has incited the anger of Iraqis, leading to demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people and the assertion of their rights simultaneously.

The specter of administrative corruption arouses citizens' resentment

The Iraqi system suffers from administrative corruption. These files negatively impacted Iraq's social and economic life, necessitating decisive and serious approval from the Iraqi populace to alter Iraq's course. Demonstrations to put pressure on the government to combat rampant corruption have become a necessity, particularly since the corruption file has become one of the most difficult to resolve in Iraq. In this report, we will examine two demonstrations that the monitoring team observed in the second half of August 2023 in the governorates of Babil and Muthanna:

AUGUST 2023

Demonstrations calling for the government to pay financial dues

The issue of payingfinancial dues in the region continues. Because of the delay in the payment oftheir monthly salaries, hundreds of doctors in the governorate of Sulaymaniyahand the independent departments affiliated with the governorate beganboycotting official working hours to urge the regional government to expeditethe payment of their financial dues. An employee's primary source of income ishis monthly salary, which he receives in exchange for the services he providesin his institution. This report provides an overview of the demonstrationsmonitored by the monitoring team during the first half of August 2023 inSulaymaniyah Governorate:

JULY 2023

The Iraqi citizen is at the mercy of the dollar flames and the heat of summer

In addition to the conditions, the difficult environment experienced by the Iraqis has led to the instability of the exchange rate. The Iraqis have become preoccupied with its disastrous effects on their living conditions and purchasing power, which has increased their suffering. These capabilities are declining daily due to commodity price rises.

JULY 2023

A presidential decree arouses the ire of the Christian component in Iraq

Despite difficult living conditions, Iraqis still protest for reforms. Thousands of Christians protested a Republican decree against Cardinal Louis Sako. This was an attack on the Church and a threat to their lives in Iraq. The country is struggling with many difficult circumstances. Issuing a presidential decree in this way can add another crisis to the list of crises. During the first half of July 2023, two events were monitored by the monitoring team in the governorates of Dhi Qar and Erbil:

JUNE 2023

Crises and encroachment on the holy places provoke the indignation of Iraqis

Even though Iraq suffers from water scarcity and poor infrastructure. Iraqis responded to the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden with an unprecedented demonstration to express their outrage. Violating religious sanctities, especially the Quran, is forbidden in Islam. The monitoring team reviewed demonstrations in Iraqi provinces in June 2023:

JUNE 2023

 Shouts calling on the government to solve the irrigation water crisis:

To ensure food security and sustainable management of water used in agriculture, attention to irrigation water has become one priority the government should focus on, as there is an urgent need to increase crop productivity nominally in areas where agriculture is a primary source of income for the family. Therefore, water scarcity can negatively affect agriculture in Iraq. In this report, the demonstration monitored by the monitoring team during the first half of June / 2023 in Najaf Governorate will be reviewed

MAY 2023

Poorservices and speed cameras infuriate citizens

Services are one topic that many citizens suffer from, especially students of internal departments who, due to study conditions, were forced to stay in internal departments. Consequently, the deficiency of amenities such as electric, oil, and gas supplies renders life in urban areas problematic.

MAY 2023

Sit-ins and protest demonstrations calling for amending the salary scale

Amending the salary scale was and still is one demand that citizens have called for, as it is one source of income improvement for citizens. Also, adjusting the salary scale is one of the main points for justice among employees. To pressure the government, thousands of employees showed up in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces, demanding a change in their salaries. Throughout the past few years, Iraqi citizens have been suffering from a suffocating economic crisis. In this report, several demonstrations monitored by the monitoring team during the first half of May / 2023 in several Iraqi governorates will be reviewed:

APR 2023

Demonstrations because of delayed salaries and poor services

Protests against the payment of financial dues and the provision of services to citizens have become one the urgent issues that the government should pay more attention to, as it is one of the basic requirements for citizens that guarantee their means of living, and the government has to address it. It is one of the basic human rights governments must guarantee citizens. In this report, the monitoring team will review two events that took place in the governorates of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil in the second half of April 2023:

APR 2023

Four gunshots ignited the Iraqi streets again

Strengthening the security file was and still is one of the basic demands of Iraq's citizens. Even though the security forces controlled the assassinations, However, the subject of an assassination attempt on one of the workers in the municipality of Al-Amarah angered the citizens and increased their concern about citizen safety in the governorate. And since security is one of the most basic needs of a citizen, it seeks to guarantee. Therefore, it has become necessary for the Iraqi government and security forces to intensify their efforts to ensure citizens' safety and protection.

Governmental measures bring the issue of trust between the citizen and the government back to square one again.

The disputed areas were a point of contention between successive governments and political parties of Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen, which revolved around the right to own land in Kirkuk Governorate in particular. Therefore, any government action in those areas for the distribution and appropriation of lands constitutes a controversy and raises fears among the different nationalities, especially the Kurdish and Turkmen. As any government action in those areas is interpreted as a step in the displacement of one nationality at the expense of another nationality, and this is what arouses the ire of citizens in the region and makes them take a position against any action taken by the government.

MAR  2023

Citizens are under the weight of a (red alert) that threatens their livelihoods and forces them to take to the streets again

Despite successive Iraqi governments trying to improve the dire reality of the country, they face various obstacles, part of which is related to the decisions themselves. In addition, part of this is related to the implementation mechanism of the decisions. The Iraqi government, for example, appointed a number of contract workers on permanent staff a month ago, but many contract workers weren't included in this decision.

FEB  2023

The water crisis in Iraq brings citizens back to the sit-in squares

Providing water for irrigation and agriculture has become one of the chronic problems in Iraq, especially in some agricultural areas that depend mainly on river water sources and irrigation projects implemented by the government to support farmers to obtain enough water for agriculture. The government's inability to provide sufficient irrigation water prompted farmers to stage a sit-in to demand that the government work to solve this crisis, which is now threatening agriculture in Iraq. In this report, the demonstrations that were monitored by the monitoring team during the second half of February 2023 in several Iraqi governorates will be reviewed.

FEB  2023

Mass accusations of the government being unfair!

Because of the continuing crisisand the decline of services, hiring permanent staff for graduate students andcontract workers in government institutions has become a necessity. Attempts atthis segment have been made ever since after the government announced it wasopening up the appointment process to government employees. However, Iraqissoon became disillusioned after the recruitment decision did not include manygraduates, which prompted them to come out again to demand their rights toappointment. During the first half of February 2023, the monitoring teammonitored demonstrations in a number of Iraqi provinces.

JAN  2023

The fall of the dinar raised voices in Iraq

The Iraqi citizen did not take a moment to rest from the passage of a crisis until he was surprised by a new crisis that returned him to the first square of the chain of suffering. As the crises in Iraq continued, a new crisis emerged in Iraq, namely the depreciation of the Iraqi currency (Iraqi dinar) against the US dollar, which prompted citizens to turn out in demonstrations to pressure the Iraqi government to intervene in resolving this issue.

JAN  2023

Once again, the citizen pays the price of the fuel crisis in light of the merciless winter

With the onset of winter, the issue of fuel and heating sources has become one of the first requirements of citizens, especially in the northern regions of Iraq. The fuel crisis has become frequent during the winter period when the citizen is in dire need to provide energy sources for heating. In this report, the demonstrations that were monitored by the monitoring team during the first half of January 2022 will be reviewed in the Sulaymaniyah governorate, specifically the Penjwin district.

Farmers ' protests in Iraq.

The suffering of the peasants in the Iraqi provinces continues between the poor environmental conditions of Agriculture and the government's breaking of its promises to the peasants, which led to them coming out with a demonstration to demand their rights. Unlike the previous protests during the coordination between the demonstrators in two governorates.

The alarm of limiting freedoms and the use of violence against demonstrators threaten the path of democracy in Iraq. 

Preliminary readings show the size of the challenges facing the new government in Iraq since Muhammad Shyaa Al-Sudani  took office assumed the presidency of the government and won the confidence of Parliament. The new government seeks to change the administrative and political system. Clearly, in all aspects of the Iraqi state, in addition to working to provide better services to citizens, which is what referred by many observers of Iraqi affairs. But despite all the changes that Sudani is working on, the multiple files knock on the door of the Sudanese government and ......

Nov  2022

Opening corruption files and demands for permanent staffing sparked demonstrations in several Iraqi governorates.

The spread of corruption and the opening of senior government officials' corruption files arouse the Iraqi street's ire. The Iraqi government's procrastination in the issue of hiring new graduates and converting contract workers to permanent staffing has prompted hundreds of citizens to take out demonstrations to demand their rights to appointment. Years of protests have yet to bear fruit, and their spark has been awakened by another attempt by the Iraqi citizen to obtain his legitimate demands. Protests and sit-ins lasted for years, and the graduates demanded their rights like other employees.

Nov  2022

Late financial dues and fear of a merciless winter prompted citizens to go out to claim their rights

The Iraqi citizen has not calmed down for years, as crises and problems have been rolling over him for quite a while. They tried with all their might to overcome the harshness of life left by the country's repeated battles and crises, on the one hand, burdened by the complex climatic environment. This inconvenience prompted the citizen to invent ways to live with the current situation, despite its difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, on the other hand, Iraqis face a new challenge by winter: the search for warmth and safety from the harsh winter.

Oct  2022

From October to Iraqi Airways and demands for change

Since its inception, the specter of the October revolution was the biggest fear of government agencies, fearing the outbreak of a new wave of violence, especially after the formation of the new government amid the opposition by the Iraqi street and parliament. However, these fears vanished at the political and popular levels after the weak response to these demonstrations.

Oct  2022

In the midst of relative silence, the October anniversary portends the spark of demonstrations in Iraq again

It can be said that the October revolution, since its inception, has emerged as an indication that the popular movement in Iraq is no longer satisfied with the limits of its economic demands represented in providing water, electricity and infrastructure services, improving economic conditions, and other immediate problems. Rather, it was launched as a call for radical change in Iraq, as the popular movement moved towards more daring steps, ....................................

Sep  2022

After a calm of concern and amid disappointments with reform, new protest movements appear.

After a period of relative calm, signs of the launch of a new wave of demonstrations appeared, indicating the disappointments that occurred among citizens from the government and parliament provoked a new wave of dissatisfaction with the existing conditions, which led to the launch of several demonstrations in different areas in the Iraqi provinces. This report will review the demonstrations monitored by the monitoring team during the second half of September 2022 in several Iraqi provinces.

Mass anger engulfing Iraq, leaving behind dead and wounded, within 60 Minutes !

Massive demonstrations were launched in a number of provinces of Iraq by supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, followed by the announcement of the launch of demonstrations by other political movements, which made the scene in Iraq turn towards confrontations that could drag the country into an ominous civil war. Amid these tensions, voices have been raised calling for calm, return to the dialogue table, arbitration of reason, and return to negotiations between the parties. In the midst of these tensions, Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to disperse the demonstrations and end the violence within one hour, ending the inflamed scene in Iraq, so that things gradually return to calm.

Millions of demonstrations calling for early elections and remarkable feminist participation

The right to peaceful assembly and demonstration in the city is guaranteed by several legislations, the most prominent of which is the Iraqi constitution and many laws regulating freedom of speech and the right of individuals to express their opinions and demands. However, due to the policies of the local government and security services, this right has become procedurally and constitutionally vulnerable during the previous and present years. The pressures of the formation of the government and rampant corruption, 

Iraq is in hot water, with interference from outside and cracking from inside.

Despite the deterioration of the political and economic conditions and the deterioration of services, other reasons emerged on the scene, making the demonstrations different in content from the previous ones. The external aggression against Iraq and audio leaks (see the link in the margins) ignited demonstrations, and even the government was unable to deal with them, not to mention the dire living conditions in the country. The demonstrations that broke out in many governorates and in Baghdad in particular, showed the political rift between the winning blocs, deepened the intensity of the demonstrations, and disrupted the government entirely. This time, the summer heat did not constitute an obstacle to the thousands who stormed the parliament and disrupted the work of state institutions. This report will review the demonstrations monitored by the monitoring team during July 2022 in several Iraqi governorates.

 The summer heat, the deterioration of services, and unemployment sparked demonstrations again in various provinces of Iraq.

Peaceful assembly or peaceful demonstrations is one of the fundamental human rights in Iraq due to its ratification of the Charter of the Universal Declaration of human rights, which indicated in Article 19 that everyone has the right to enjoy the freedom of opinion and expression peacefully, and this is approved by Article 38 of the Permanent Constitution of Iraq. However, the deterioration of services related to the provision of electricity, nominally in the summer, with the continuing pressures of living as a result of unemployment, which has become noticeable, especially among young people, led citizens in various provinces of Iraq to go out again in demonstrations demanding the government feasible solutions to these crises. This report will review the demonstrations monitored by the monitoring team during the second half of June 2022 in several Iraqi provinces.

June 2022

Calls to change the local government and the rise in fuel prices provoke a new wave of demonstrations.

Initially, the demonstration and sit-in are among the constitutional rights to express opinions and are part of human rights and freedom of thought and expression as the right to peaceful assembly is the gathering of individuals in a specific place. This assembly may be spontaneous or organized in which individuals express their opinions and demand their rights, which is what is happening in Iraq due to the deteriorating conditions. The continuation of corruption and the government's disregarding of the situation generated strong reactions from the citizens. This report will review the demonstrations observed by the monitoring team during the first half of June 2022.

May 2022

Unexpected government reactions to the demonstrations have become the best option to resolve the repercussions in the country.

Resolution 315 has become a distant hope for Iraqis whose livelihoods have worsened. The continued implementation disruption of the resolutions issued by the government and its unexpected reactions caused hundreds of voices of vengeance to rise and call for an end to the crisis and a solution to corruption. In this report, the demonstrations monitored by the monitoring team during the second half of May 2022 will be reviewed.

May 2022

Demonstrations in Iraq, is it a march towards change or a quest for reform?

Hundreds of Iraqis went out in massive demonstrations in several Iraqi provinces in protest against the political crisis the country is witnessing, calling for a resolution to form the government and get out of the political blockage that took the country to an ominous slope. Nevertheless, unfortunately, decisions are issued and disrupted, and the victim is the citizen who tasted both. In this report, the demonstrations that were monitored by the monitoring team during the first half of May 2022 will be reviewed.

April 2022

The delayed government formation and the arrest of activists provoked discontent in the Iraqi street.

Despite the announcement of the election results, the formation of the government faces many complications. It is not surprising that the process of forming the Iraqi government has been prolonged. This scenario repeats after every election that is held. However, the profound differences this time are a new situation that the ruling class in Iraq has not been accustomed to before.

ِApril 2022

Iraqis receive Ramadan month with another wave of crises
Accusations against the government of negligence and encouragement of corruption

The continued suffering of citizens triggered a new wave of protests in Iraq, coinciding with the advent of the month of Ramadan. Angry mass protests in Iraqi provinces became the only way to force the government to provide services and respond to popular demands. 

Mar 2022

The government's control calls for the high price of the market and the reduction of fees raising taxes and debts accumulated on citizen

 Iraq faced a new wave of demonstrations in most of the Iraqi governorates. Calling for the government to control the high prices of the market and reduction of fees, raising taxes, and debts accumulated on citizens, and this coincides with the government's accumulated problems, where the delay in forming the government on the one hand, and the government departments' regression from providing basic services on the other hand.

Feb 2022

Various groups call for the release of salaries, and others denounce raising the economic level and providing better government services.

The economic, security, and political crises prompted the citizens to demonstrate due to the political and security instability that the country has been facing for several years. In addition, Iraq is facing a deteriorating economic situation due to the decline in oil prices, which is the primary

Demonstrations by protesters rejecting the election results

Despite the change achieved by the anti-government protests that shook the country in 2019 at the level of the faces and parties of the political class that has ruled Iraq since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, the Iraqi street reflects several demands of large crowds of demonstrators, 

Dec 2021

Protests to hold those responsible for assassinations accountable, renewed demands 

Iraq is facing its worst financial crisis in decades due to economic repercussions and the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, which has negatively reflected the current reality of Iraqi society.
Meanwhile, the demonstrators appear determined to continue their movement and pressing their
demands of creating jobs, recruiting graduates and improving services. This group of society

15 Nov 2021

Demonstrations denouncing the investigation and accountability for the violations and assassinations committed against activists

The Iraqis, especially the youth and universities and institutes graduates, were looking forward to making progress in efforts towards addressing major challenges, the most important of which are the deteriorating economic conditions, decline in the level of services, demand for monthly student financial grants and because of the corruption in the university administration, the poor basic services in the student accommodations and the exacerbation of unemployment in addition to the hesitant reconstruction efforts.

1 Oct 2021

Two years past since the wounds of the demonstrators of October, yet their voices remain unheard

Demonstration is a human right which shall be peaceful and having to impose conditions in order to gain its peaceful appearance that expresses freedom of opinion and the right of society. It is not possible to build a state of law without holding the perpetrators of terrorist organized crimes accountable. The October 2019 revolution that embodied the patriotic spirit in the capital of Baghdad, spread to the central and southern provinces. Several demonstrations took place, through which the demands raised by the demonstrators were similar to what was demanded in the beginning of protests in Iraqi cities. In the city of Diwaniyah, and in solidarity with the rest of the Iraqi cities

15 Aug 2021

Iraq demonstrations: calls for accountability for those responsible for the "assassinations" and promises that have not been fulfilled

Several regions in Iraq, especially Baghdad and the southern cities, are witnessing widespread demonstrations demanding those responsible for the assassination of activists and media professionals to be held accountable and denouncing the state's failure to protect them and investigating the acts of violence against demonstrators and critics of party policies by unidentified armed groups.

30 July 2021

Hot summer in Iraq..the electricity crisis increases street congestion and demonstrations condemning the accountability of those responsible for political assassinations

Thousands of demonstrators took part in several demonstrations denouncing the "failure of the state to protect them." Users of social networking sites published pictures and invitations to participate in these demonstrations in the hope of bringing about change in Iraq, in addition to the deterioration of basic services and electricity, and others denouncing the unemployed.

30 April 2021

 Mass demonstrations in Iraq In conjunction with the approval of the general budget for 2021

The freedom to demonstrate is one of the highest forms of expression in line with international human rights standards, including: The Global Declaration of Human Rights 1948 IHRD and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1966.

30 May 2021

Iraq demonstrations: Call for accountability for those responsible for the assassinations

In the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq for the year 2005, the state guaranteed the right to demonstrate without prejudice to public order and public morals based on the provisions of Article (38) thereof.