In June 2023, the criminal court in Dhi Qar convicted officer Omar Nizar for issuing an order to fire live ammunition at protesters on the Olive Bridge. The Federal Court of Cassation has decided to release the rapid intervention forces officer Omar Nizar after a previous life sentence was imposed on him regarding the Olive Bridge massacre incident. A document verified by Al-Hurra through a judicial source indicates that the Court of Cassation ordered the closure of the investigation, annulled all decisions made in the case, and dismissed the charges against the officer, thus releasing him. The decision was based on insufficient evidence obtained and the obligation to notify the prison administration. This ruling was issued in accordance with the provisions of criminal procedure law.
Iraq witnessed an unprecedented wave of protests in October 2019, which spread across the capital and most areas in the south over several months, calling for a change in the system. However, these protests faced violent suppression that resulted in the deaths of more than 600 people and injuries to thousands.
In June 2023, the criminal court in Dhi Qar found Nizar guilty of "issuing the order (...) to fire live ammunition at protesters on the Olive Bridge in Nasiriyah, resulting in casualties," according to the Federal Court of Appeals, which ultimately acquitted the convicted officer. A security official confirmed the "release of the commander," who was tried for the killing of nearly twenty protesters and the injury of about 190 others on November 28, 2019.
The outrage caused by the brutal suppression of protesters on the Olive Bridge, one of the most violent incidents during the demonstrations, led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. In recent years, there have been limited and rare convictions related to the killings of activists and journalists during protests. In June 2022, the United Nations mission in Iraq condemned the "environment of fear and intimidation" that restricts freedom of expression in the country, specifically addressing the "continued impunity concerning attacks against protesters (...) and opposing activists who express views critical of armed elements and the political actors linked to them."
