Iraq: Activist murder protests called as Iran consulate targetted

Ihab al-Wazni led protests in the Shia holy city of Karbala where pro-Iran armed groups hold major sway.

Protests are expected again in Iraq after demonstrators set fire to trailers belonging to Iran’s consulate in Karbala as anger spread over the killing of a prominent activist in the southern city. Ihab Jawad al-Wazni, who was active in the organisation of the anti-government protests that swept Iraq in October 2019, was shot dead on Sunday outside his home by unknown assailants. His death sparked daylong protests in Karbala that saw demonstrators block roads and bridges with burning tyres. An Iraqi journalist, meanwhile, was in intensive care after being shot in the head early on Monday, doctors said, only 24 hours after al-Wazni was killed.