Two killed in protest over Iraqi activist’s prison sentence

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Local officials say two protesters have been killed in southern Iraq after security forces opened fire on a crowd demonstrating against a harsh prison sentence handed down against a young Iraqi activist over a Twitter post. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets Wednesday in the city of Nasariyah against a court ruling this week sentencing 20-year-old Hayder Hamid al-Zaidi to three years in prison over alleged criticism of state-sanctioned militias. Security forces opened fire to disperse the protesters, killing one and injuring 17, according to a local government source and a medical source, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media about the matter.