Police & jail misconductOversight & ethics enforcementCourts & justice
Iraq: 7 convictions from 2,700 investigations into the 2019 Tishreen protest crackdown, and appeals court frees an officer convicted over the Nasiriyah bridge killings
Confidence: Corroborated · 2 sourcesIraq · Oct 6, 2026
Subject of this story
Omar Nizar, Iraqi security officer convicted over the 2019 Zaitoun Bridge killings in Nasiriyah
Federal Court of Cassation of Iraq
Also named
Advocate
Amnesty International
What happened
Amnesty International reported in September 2024 that only 7 convictions and 10 arrest warrants had followed roughly 2,700 criminal investigations into the violent response to the 2019 Tishreen protests, and that investigative committees' findings were kept secret. Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that the Federal Court of Cassation released an officer previously sentenced to life over the Zaitoun Bridge killings in Nasiriyah, citing insufficient evidence. Amnesty's August 2026 statement says authorities have still failed to hold perpetrators of the crackdown accountable.
By the numbers (1)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Roles
○
Iraq's Federal Court of Cassation released officer Omar Nizar despite a life sentence for the Zaitoun Bridge massacre, citing insufficient evidence.
1 source
- alquds.co.uk
Federal Court of Cassation released officer Omar Nizar despite life sentence for the Zaitoun Bridge massacre, citing insufficient evidence
Sources (2)
amnesty.orgonly 7 convictions handed down from 2,700 criminal investigations; only 10 arrest warrants
alquds.co.ukFederal Court of Cassation released officer Omar Nizar despite life sentence for the Zaitoun Bridge massacre, citing insufficient evidence
Response
Omar Nizar
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Not yet contacted for this story.
Federal Court of Cassation of Iraq
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What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.