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Iraq officer arrested in Makkah for role in 2019 massacre

October 8, 2024 at 11:57 am

Smoke billows from burning tires during a demonstration in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq’s southern province of Dhi Qar on November 25, 2019 [-/AFP via Getty Images]

Saudi authorities have arrested Major Omar Nizar, an Iraqi officer wanted in connection with the deadly 2019 Al-Nasiriyah massacre, while he was performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah, a source told Shafaq News yesterday.

Nizar, a member of Iraq’s Quick Response Forces (QRF), had been convicted in absentia for his role in the massacre and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Iraq’s Chief Justice Faiq Zeidan overturned the sentence, citing insufficient evidence, and ordered his release.

Saudi security forces detained Nizar, referring his case to the kingdom’s state security. The 2019 Al-Nasiriyah massacre, which took place in Dhi Qar’s capital, saw the systematic killing of protesters. Approximately 85 people were killed and 400 were wounded over two days of violence.

Nizar’s arrest reignites focus on the brutal crackdown, which led to the resignations of several senior Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. Despite the high-profile resignations, the violence continued, deepening unrest in the country.

It has also been speculated that Nizar’s arrest may have been triggered by a TikTok video allegedly filmed by him during Umrah. In the video, he is reportedly heard praying for victory for factions within the Axis of Resistance, including a supplication for Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israeli forces late last month.

READ: 100 Iraqi newborns named ‘Nasrallah’ after Hezbollah leader’s assassination