Six years on, calls for justice renewed over killing of two Basra activists

BASRA — Activists and residents in Basra marked six years since the killings of Tahseen Osama and Reham Yaqoub on Friday, saying nobody has been identified over one death and nobody tried over the other.

“Six years have passed since the assassination of our friend, the martyr Tahseen Osama, and the criminal perpetrators have not been identified,” activist Ali al-Noor told 964media. “Those arrested in the case of the assassination of Dr. Reham Yaqoub have also not been tried. Therefore, we stand today demanding that the local government in Basra governorate and the security leadership identify the perpetrators and put those who have been arrested on trial.”

Osama, a civil society activist, was shot dead in Basra in August 2020. Yaqoub, a doctor who took part in the Tishreen protests, was shot dead by gunmen days later.

Activist Issam al-Jawhar asked why the killers had not been found after six years, saying “the federal and local governments have not taken the case seriously.” The gathering, he said, “comes to continue what the activists Osama and Reham started to improve conditions in Basra and Iraq, and we will certainly continue on this path.” Resident Asaad al-Shami said similar gatherings had been held for three years running with the same demands and no response.

The Tishreen protests began in October 2019 over economic hardship, poor services and state dysfunction, and ran until May 2021. It was the largest wave of protests in Iraq since 2003. The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights puts the death toll above 600, higher than official figures, with nearly half of the 624 victims it has identified killed in Baghdad. It has warned that continued impunity raises the risk of further violence.