MOI: Investigations still ongoing regarding Wathba Square crime

INA – BAGHDAD

Ministry of Interior (MOI) spokesman, Khalid Al-Mhanna, confirmed that investigations are still ongoing regarding the crime of Wathba incident.

"Investigations are ongoing and no accused of Wathba crime has been received or reported so far, so the investigative procedures are continuing," Al-Mhanna stated to Iraqi News Agency – INA.

Earlier today, the representative of the Highest Religious Authority – Marja’, sayyed Ahmed Al-Safi, confirmed during the Friday sermon that “Wathba incident is a heinous and horrific crime. The authorities should hold their perpetrators accountable,”

He also pointed out that the lynching and hanging on public is a crime and it is sad to see that large gatherings follow Wathba incident.

Ministry of Interior spokesman al-Mhanna told INA, earlier, that "MOI condemns this terrorist act, as well as all sabotage acts that occurred in the past days that included theft and burning of the property of citizens in the central areas of Baghdad. Also, MOI continues to defend the lives and property of citizens,"

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf, revealed few details regarding Wathba incident and the measures taken against the perpetrators.

Khalaf told INA that "the victim is a young man who has not reached 17 years old, and that five days ago he was asking the protesters gathered in front of his house to move away from his home, but they refused, so he started intensive dispute with them in a verbal argument that quickly turned into a fight,”

He added, "Then some people threw Molotov cocktails at his house, he was carrying a pistol, and fired a number of bullets over their heads. Then, they stormed his house, killed him, dragged him and hung him on one of the pillars in Wathba Square,"