Urgent Action: TRUTH AND JUSTICE FOR DISAPPEARED ACTIVIST (Iraq: 104.23)

On September 19, 2020, a group of armed men abducted Sajjad al-Iraqi, a prominent protester and activist involved in the 2019 Tishreen [October] protest. More than three years after his abduction, his whereabouts remain unknown, and his family have been subjected to threats as they pursue truth and justice. On March 22, 2023, the Dhi Qar Criminal Court sentenced to death in absentia two individuals convicted for kidnapping Sajjad al-Iraqi, but no arrests have been made. The Iraqi authorities must reveal the fate and whereabouts of Sajjad al-Iraqi, ensure his family is protected from reprisals, and hold those responsible to account in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty. 

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• Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
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sample Letter:

Your Excellency, 

I am alarmed to learn that activist Sajjad al-Iraqi’s whereabouts remain unknown over three years after he was forcibly disappeared. On September 19, 2020, a group of men abducted Sajjad al-for his role in the nation-wide anti-government protests known as the “Tishreen” [October] .

I am also alarmed that Sajjad al-Iraqi’s family have been subjected to threats by people believed to be linked to the abductors and to the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). These individuals pressured Sajjad al-Iraqi’s family to drop their court case against Sajjad al-Iraqi’s abductor, including by showing up at the family’s home at least four times. On November 15, 2020, the Thi Qar Appeals Court issued arrest warrants for two individuals for Sajjad al-Iraqi’s kidnapping, but neither suspect was arrested. On March 22, 2023, the Thi Qar Criminal Court sentenced these individuals to death in absentia for kidnapping Sajjad al-Iraqi, but to date, neither of them have been  . A family member told Amnesty International that during a meeting with Your Excellency nine months ago a promise was made to follow up on Sajjad al-Iraqi’s case.

We call on Your Excellency to order investigations to reveal the fate and whereabouts of Sajjad al-Iraqi and to ensure his family members are protected from threats and reprisals. We call on the authorities to order a re-trial of the defendants in their presence and in a manner that respects international standards without recourse to the death penalty.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

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