An Iraqi journalist who was detained at a protest and tortured last February was shot to death last night in Baghdad. Hadi al-Mehdi had been openly criticizing the government through his radio show and had received death threats over a demonstration planned for Friday. He was found with two bullet wounds to the head at his home in the Karrada district.
Iraq is not only one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, the Iraqi government itself has regularly harassed reporters for years. And, while it is generally safer, Iraqi Kurdistan is no different when it comes to journalists. Reporters Without Borders condemned a separate attack today of a magazine editor who was beaten by Kurdish special forces in Suleimaniya. The soldiers stormed his office where they also hit Ahmed Mira’s brother. A judge ordered Mira released three hours later. Last week, another Kurdish journalist took a beating.
In the United Kingdom, an inquiry found that poor interrogation training was, in part, to blame for the brutal death of Iraqi Baha Mousa in 2003. Abuse was apparently routinely administered during British interrogations of detainees.
Another seven Iraqis were killed and four more were wounded in other violence.
A provincial councilman died of wounds received in a shooting yesterday in Diwaniya. His driver was also wounded.
In Mosul, gunmen killed a civilian as he was shopping, while a bomb separately wounded a soldier.
In Baghdad, gunmen killed the owner of a money exchange office. A policeman was shot to death in Amil.
Two Sahwa members were killed in Shirqat.
A civilian was stabbed to death in Kirkuk.
A roadside bomb exploded in Duquq and wounded two soldiers.
Kurdistan Workers Party (P.K.K.) rebels kidnapped four village militiamen in Turkey. Meanwhile, Iranian Revolutionary Guards said they were considering a ceasefire offer from P.K.K. offshoot Party Of A Free Life Of Kurdistan.
