Iraq’s “February Youth Movement” to hold news conference after detention of 4 of its members

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s “February Youth Movement,” participating in the organization of demonstrations in central Baghdad’s al-Tahrir (Liberation) Square has announced on Saturday that   it would hold a news conference at the headquarters of the Iraqi Peace & Solidarity Council in Baghdad, to explain details of the detention of four of its activists, after a demonstration last Friday.   “The February Youth Movement shall hold a news conference at the headquarters of the Peace & Solidarity Council in Baghdad’s al-Wathiq Square, to listen to live details by demonstrators, who shared in al-Tahrir demonstration last Friday, about the detention of four of its members by the Iraqi Army’s 11 th Division,” an activist of the Movement told IraqiNews.com news agency.   He said that the conference would also explain the incident of arresting 11 members of “Ayna Haqqi (Where is My Right?)” organization on Saturday, being one of the civil society organizations, adding that a security force had attacked its headquarters in central Baghdad’s al-Midan Square, damaged its contents, confiscated its files and computers, along with the detention of 11 persons, including a woman, among them the organization’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed, after blindfolding their eyes.   Noteworthy is that one of the activists in the group, calling itself “Iraqi Streets for Change,” who was present in al-Tahrir Square’s Friday demonstration, told IraqiNews.com that the four detained young men were Moayad al-Tayib, Ali al-Jaf, Ahmed al-Baghdadi and Jihad Jalil, who were among 250 demonstrators, who gathered in al-Tahrir Square, criticizing the Iraqi government for its failure to present public services and the deterioration of the living standards of the people, despite the close end of the 100-day period, defined by the government to improve the activity of the ministries and carrying out reforms.   Iraq ’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, had defined on 28/2/2011, a 100-day period, scheduled to end on June 7 th next, to be followed by an evaluation of the activity of the government and each ministry aside.   Maliki’s decision followed a series of demonstrations that took place in Baghdad and other Iraqi Provinces on February 25 th , demanding an end for corruption,   the improvement of public services and living standards of the people, as well as putting an end for unemployment in the country.   SKH (FT)