Sistani calls for justice as Iraqi protesters bleed
Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemned the government for the bloodshed in the recent protests, supporting the protesters' demands.
The death toll of the recent Iraqi protests has reached more than 120 and more than 6,000 have reportedly been wounded. Following Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's condemnation of the Iraqi government for using violence against protesters, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi formed a committee of ministers and security officials on Oct. 13 to investigate.
“The government and its security apparatuses are responsible for the heavy bloodshed that occurred in the demonstrations of the past few days, whether of innocent citizens or the security elements charged with dealing with them. The government cannot shirk this responsibility,” Sistani's representative Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai said while leading Friday prayers on Oct. 11.
