Iranian-backed militia Badr admits it killed, wounded thousands of protesters in Iraq in 2019
A video of Hadi al-Amiri saying "the resistance stood bravely in the face of (the October fitna, as it was dubbed) and preserved the state and political system,” began circulating.
Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the influential Badr militia, appears to have admitted responsibility for the deaths and injuries of thousands of protesters in Iraq during the October 2019 movement. For years, it was known that Iranian-backed militias were likely involved in suppressing the protests, but concrete evidence was lacking.
In his speech, Amiri accused the protesters of sedition and tried to justify the violent crackdown on the demonstrators as a defense of the state and political system. He specifically targeted the Badr Organization, which is part of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, accusing them of massacring hundreds or thousands of people.
This confession comes amid efforts to disarm and control the militias, with some powerful groups refusing to disarm or presenting conditions for surrendering their weapons. The controversy surrounding Amiri's remarks has sparked calls for investigations and potential lawsuits against him and the Badr Organization.
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