ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi authorities must strongly react to the “flagrant violations of personal rights and freedoms” after a young woman was harassed in a viral incident in Basra during New Year celebrations, the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) said on Friday.

A viral incident at the Shatt al-Arab Corniche in Basra during New Year celebrations drew massive public outrage in Iraq after a young girl was harassed and surrounded by hundreds of men as she screamed for help, with various elements of Iraqi society calling for transparent legal measures against the perpetrators. 

IHCHR expressed “its strong condemnation and denunciation of the unfortunate incident of harassment that one of the girls was subjected to in Basra province in full view of everyone and the cameras.”

It also condemned similar footage showing women and girls being surrounded and harassed by men during the celebrations in several other provinces, incidents which it said “disturbed the night of citizens celebrating Christmas.”

The acts constitute “a blatant violation of personal rights and freedoms and a violation of the values and social norms that characterize our Iraqi society,” the body asserted.

Despite the security forces’ efforts to arrest a number of the harassers, the commission called “for all legal measures to be applied against them in a transparent manner.” 

Basra police on Friday announced the arrest of 45 people during New Year celebrations on charges of harassment, reckless shooting, and launching fireworks – Statement

A harassment incident of a young girl during New Year celebrations in Basra went viral and drew widespread… pic.twitter.com/jtFNfIVSoL

— The New Region (@thenewregion) January 2, 2026

Incidents of harassment during events and celebrations are not uncommon in Iraq, with women often reporting feeling unsafe in large crowd gatherings, often overwhelmingly male-dominated.

Human rights groups have continuously condemned the lack of accountability and public awareness regarding the matter, arguing that it perpetuates the occurrence of these cases.