HRW calls Iraq to open a neutral investigation on the arrest of Alwani

in the western city of Ramadia s well as the arrest of MP. Alwani and killing the death of his brother.

“ The investigation should also look into the apparently related killings of the brother and five bodyguards of a member of parliament, Ahmed al-Alwani, during his arrest on December 28.  The authorities should ensure that all those responsible for unlawful killings and other misuse of force are brought to justice”.

The Iraqi security forces arrested MP Ahmed al-Alwani, a Sunni member of al- Iraqiya List at dawn on 28 of last month after a raid on his home in Ramadi in Anbar province.

Al-Alwani and three of his bodyguards were killed during clashes that accompanied the raid on his house, raising tensions between the Sunni minority and the government led by majority Shiites.

“The facts of the Ramadi incident are unclear, but government statements before the clashes and the deployment of the army seemed intended more to provoke violence than prevent it,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Seventeen people died at Ramadi and the Iraqi authorities need to find out exactly what happened and why.”

“17 people died in Ramadi," he added, calling "the Iraqi authorities to investigate the truth of what happened and why it happens."

Anbar province has witnessed tenses security and political conditions, on the background of the Iraqi forces implementation of an expanded military campaign to hunt down al -Qaeda fighters in the deserts, followed by the arrest of MP Ahmed al-Alwani in Anbar and lift the tents of the protesters that have remained for more than a year.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the sit-in squares have been lift without bloodshed , pointing to the continuation of military operations to hunt down armed groups , and al-Qaeda in all parts of Iraq .

On the political level , the ongoing operations in Anbar , arresting al-Alwani , killing his brother and raising sit- in arenas has resulted to the withdrawal of Mutahedoun bloc led by the Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and Dialogue Front bloc, led by Deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs Saleh al-Mutlaq from the Iraqi parliament , which are two blocs representing Sunni component in Iraq .