Saudi arrests Iraqi army officer over anti-Israel posts during Umrah

Saudi authorities have arrested Lieutenant Colonel Omar Nizar, an officer in Iraq's elite Rapid Response Forces, while he was performing Umrah in Mecca. Nizar was reportedly detained after posting a video on social media in which he prayed for the victory of Palestinians in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The video, widely circulated online, is believed to be the reason behind his arrest. Saudi public prosecution has since referred him to the State Security Agency, and his lawyer told Iraq's state television that Nizar's fate remains unclear.

Nizar's name has been controversial in Iraq due to his alleged involvement in the Zaytoun Bridge Massacre during the 2019 anti-government protests. In June 2023, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in ordering security forces to open fire on protesters in Nasiriyah, leading to the deaths of around 20 people and the injury of 190 others.

The protests, which began in October 2019, were driven by public outrage over poor infrastructure, corruption, and high unemployment. They saw more than 600 people killed across Iraq, with the violence being particularly severe in Nasiriyah.

However, Nizar's life sentence was quashed by Iraq's Court of Appeals just a few months after it was handed down. The court found "insufficient evidence" to uphold the conviction. The ruling cited doubts about the evidence and the inability of plaintiffs to provide consistent eyewitness testimony against Nizar, leading to his release.

The Zaytoun Bridge Massacre was one of the deadliest incidents during the 2019 protests and contributed to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Despite international condemnation, including from the United Nations, which criticized Iraq's "persistent impunity" for attacks on protesters and activists, few convictions have been secured for the deaths and injuries during the demonstrations.

Nizar's recent arrest in Saudi Arabia has sparked further attention, though Iraqi officials have yet to comment on the matter.

The New Arab attempted to contact Miqdad Miri, the official spokesperson for Iraq's Interior Ministry, for comment, but he was unavailable.