ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi security forces raided the house of a jailed activist’s family in the southern Dhi Qar province on Friday, arresting the father and two others on charges of orchestrating demonstrations calling for the release of the activist.

Ahmed al-Hilali, father of activist Ihsan Abu Kawthar was detained by security forces in the early hours of Friday, after the forces reportedly monitored the house for hours, broke in, and conducted a full inspection of the residence.

The forces purportedly also fired tear gas canisters, leading Abu Kawthar’s mother to faint.

Abu Kawthar, a prominent activist of the 2019 popular Tishreen protest movement, was arrested on March 8, accused of “leading an armed rebellion against an existing authority.”

Dhi Qar’s police command said in a statement that the operation was carried out after “malicious individuals” started burning tires and blocking the road near the Ibrahim al-Khalil Bridge in the center of Nasiriyah, demanding the release of the activist.

“During interrogation of those arrested, they confessed that what happened was prompted by the wanted man, Ahmed al-Hilali, to spread fabricated news, gain the sympathy of followers among the province’s residents, and create a rift between citizens and security forces,” read the statement from the police.

The police said that their members were subjected to “gunfire and stone-throwing” from Hilali’s house when they were trying to execute the arrest warrant against him, leading to the injury of eight police officers.

“Three individuals were arrested during the operation, and a Kalashnikov rifle, various Kalashnikov and BKC ammunition, and a pistol were seized. Empty magazines were also found on the roof of the wanted man's home,” the statement added.

Controversially, the picture shared by the police command showed the items that were seized from the house, which included only one rifle, ammunition, and dozens of electronic devices including phones, tablets, and laptops.

The incident sparked outcry among Iraqis on social media, condemning the security forces’ actions.

“These actions have nothing to do with the state, and the rights and dignity of citizens must be respected,” said Hussein al-Gharabi, head of the Bait al-Watan party - formed by Tishreen protesters.

MP Dawood al-Eidan expressed his concern over what he described as “the terror families in Nasiriyah were subjected to due to the firing of live bullets and smoke bombs during the raid.”

He called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani to “put an end to these practices,” stressing that "the people of Nasiriyah are peaceful and not terrorists.”

Ghazwan Al-Munshid, a lawmaker from Dhi Qar, called for an emergency session of the parliament to discuss the incident, which he said “poses a direct threat to public security and affects civil peace.”

Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets in October of 2019 – later to be dubbed the Tishreen movement – against the rampant corruption that has plagued all levels of the Iraqi state, demanding radical changes to the governance system.

Iraqi authorities violently cracked down on the protests, with at least 541 protesters killed and over 20,000 others injured, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR). At least 27 activists were killed, 28 were targeted in attempted killings, and 75 were abducted of which dozens still remain missing.