Iraq’s top Shiite cleric on Friday denounced the killing of a teenager whose body was strung up by his feet from a traffic pole in a Baghdad square, as conflicting versions emerged about what had led to the 16-year-old’s death.
Security officials initially told reporters that he had been beaten to death by an angry mob after he killed four anti-government protesters and two shopkeepers in a shooting spree.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations, provided what they said were the names of four of those killed, saying that they ranged in age from 18 to 31.
Spokespeople for the Iraqi ministries of interior and health said only that the teen had been killed.
Iraqi Ministry of Interior spokesman Brigadeer Khaled al-Muhanna said an investigation into the incident was under way.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the nation’s top Shiite cleric, called the teen’s killing a “horrific crime” that must not be repeated, and urged Iraqi authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable.
In his weekly sermon, delivered by a representative, al-Sistani also condemned recent killings, kidnappings and assaults on protesters.
Only the judiciary has the authority to inflict punishment on offenders of the law, he added.
Officials in Iraq often provide conflicting accounts of the same incident, particularly in the context of Iraq’s chaotic anti-government protests.
The protest movement that began on Oct. 1, when thousands took to the streets to decry government corruption, poor services and scarcity of jobs, has engulfed Iraq.
The demonstrations have been marked by bloodshed and almost daily confrontations, with security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas at demonstrators. More than 450 people have been killed — most of them shot in the head and chest by security forces.
More recently, a string of mysterious acts of bloodshed by unknown groups has put anti-government protesters and activists on edge and eroded their faith in the ability of state security forces to protect them.
On Thursday, a mob strung up the body of the 16-year-old in Baghdad’s al-Wathba square as dozens pointed their cellphones at the gruesome scene.
Security officials initially said the teen had been wanted by police on drug-related charges and was running from security forces before opening fire and killing six people.
Some videos circulating on social media showed him being beaten and dragged across the street.
However, other videos showed security forces with pointed guns surrounding a house where the teen apparently had taken cover, raising the possibility he could have been killed by police.
The UN Security Council on Friday issued a statement stressing the right to peaceful assembly and calling on Iraqi authorities to promptly conduct transparent investigations into violence against demonstrators.
It also expressed concern at the killing of security forces and “the involvement of armed groups in extrajudicial killings and kidnappings.”
Protesters were quick to distance themselves from Thursday’s violence in a collective statement in which they condemned the incident and said those who carried it out were not part of their movement.
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