Iraqi activist Ihab Al Wazni on Sunday became the latest victim in a wave of targeted killings in the country, despite repeated calls for the government to bring perpetrators to justice.
Dozens of activists, journalists and members of civil society groups have been assassinated, kidnapped and threatened since the start of widespread protests nearly two years ago.
The protest movement, which grew rapidly in October 2019, has called for more employment opportunities, better public services and an end to corruption.
Al Wazni, known as the "Hero of Karbala", was killed by gunmen near his home in the southern holy city, in the early hours of Sunday.
His death has sparked outrage at the lack of action taken by authorities to protect civilians and provide them with basic public services.
Other high-profile activists, researchers and reporters have been killed or targeted since late 2019.
The government has been under pressure to find and punish the killers of activists calling for reforms, with public concern mounting over the frequency of these attacks.
Who has been killed?
One of the most prominent political commentators to be murdered was Hisham Al Hashimi, who was shot outside his Baghdad home in July 2020. His death dealt a huge blow to the country’s academic and civil society institutions.
Born in Baghdad in 1973, Al Hashimi was a well-respected expert who wrote extensively about ISIS and Al Qaeda, authoring three books. He advised current and past governments on terrorism and extremist groups.
Al Hashimi was also a strong supporter of the protest movement.
Prominent journalist Ahmad Abdessamad, 37, and his cameraman Safaa Ghali, 26, who had been covering anti-government protests in their home city of Basra, in the south, were shot dead in January 2020.
They were assassinated in their car, while parked near a police station.
Abdessamad was a vocal supporter of the protest rallies.
Jinan Madzi, a paramedic who treated wounded protesters, was shot dead during demonstrations in Basra the same month.
Riham Yaqoob, a doctor and female activist who became the face of the protest movement in Basra, was killed last August.
A few weeks after her death, the killing of another activist, Tahseen Osama, pushed protesters to take to the streets to demand that authorities find those responsible.
Salah Al Iraqi, who was well-known for taking an active role in rallies, was shot dead in eastern Baghdad last December.
In his last post on Facebook, Al Iraqi wrote: "The innocent die while the cowards rule."
Amjad Aldhamat was killed after walking out of a police station last October in his home city of Amara in southern Iraq.
He and another activist had been had been attending a meeting with police to discuss a planned protes.
As Aldhamat walked out, gunmen approached in a car with tinted windows and no licence plates and shot him dead.
Ali Jasb, a young rights lawyer, was kidnapped in Amara in October 2019 and nothing has been heard from him or his captors.
Jasb Aboud, the father of Ali Jasb, publicly accused a powerful Iran-backed militia of kidnapping his son, and sought to take its leader to court.
He was shot dead by gunmen in early March in Amara.
What happened at rallies?
In October 2019, widespread rallies erupted across Baghdad and the south against a government seen as corrupt, inept and beholden to neighboring Iran.
Protest-related violence left at least 550 dead and thousands more injured, while hundreds were detained.
Some protesters were shot dead while walking home from demonstrations.
Others were kidnapped, assaulted and threatened.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, who came to power in May after street pressure forced his predecessor, Adel Abdul Mahdi to resign, pledged to protect rallies and arrest those responsible for past violence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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