The Iraqi Foreign Ministry commented today, Wednesday, on the issue of kidnapped citizens in Iran. Spokesperson Ahmad Al-Sahhaf stated that "the ministry is following up at a high level with the relevant Iranian authorities regarding the kidnapping of a number of Iraqi travelers by a human trafficking network." The Iraqi Foreign Ministry did not disclose any further information on the matter, limiting its remarks to this brief comment, which confirms the validity of video clips showing the kidnapped Iraqi citizens being tortured by their captors, with information indicating that they are being held within Iranian borders.
MP Durgham Al-Maliki, from Basra, called today for the Kurdistan Region to provide the federal government and security agencies with the necessary information regarding the group that kidnapped several Iraqis while they were in Erbil, questioning the information regarding the kidnapped individuals heading towards the border. Al-Maliki emphasized that the Foreign Ministry and the Parliamentary Relations Committee must take action and that we should not yield to bandits or the extortion of families for money, thus holding the region responsible for providing us with complete information.
In response, "the people of Basra" issued an angry statement mobilizing for a demonstration in front of the Iranian consulate in the province. The coordinating committee of the demonstration announced in its statement, "A major demonstration will begin at 4 PM today, Wednesday, heading towards the Iranian consulate in Basra, in response to and condemnation of the killing, kidnapping, and abuse of Iraqi youth in Iran, and the families of the victims who were killed and kidnapped will be present at this major demonstration."
