I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5276 
To require a report describing whether certain persons meet the criteria 
to be sanctioned pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Ac-
countability Act for violating the human rights of Iraqi protestors, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 26, 2019 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. MALINOWSKI) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require a report describing whether certain persons meet 
the criteria to be sanctioned pursuant to the Global 
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for vio-
lating the human rights of Iraqi protestors, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Iraq Human Rights 
and Accountability Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Government of Iraq responded to the 
protests 
in 
Baghdad, 
Babil, 
Basra, 
Maysan, 
Nasiriya, Karbala, and Najaf from October 1 
through November 2019, by using unprecedented re-
pressive measures against protestors that included 
shootings, sniper fire, illegal and unlawful detention, 
mass arrests, and weaponizing public services such 
as electricity and the internet. 
(2) The United Nations Assistance Mission for 
Iraq, under United Nations Security Council Resolu-
tion 2470 (2019), states that 149 people were killed 
in early October and another 97 between October 25 
and November 6, 2019, while over 6,100 civilians 
have been wounded during the suppression of these 
protests. These human rights violations and abuses 
resulted due to excessive force against protestors by 
Iraqi Security Forces. 
(3) Since 2017, Iraqi Security Forces aligned 
with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), pre-
dominantly Shi’ite militias frequently backed by 
Iran, have committed unlawful and arbitrary killings 
according to the United States Department of State. 
Some reports indicate that PMF-aligned fighters 
were behind the roof-top sniper attacks in Baghdad 
in early October 2019 targeting protestors. Iraqi po-
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lice also fired military grade tear gas grenades which 
lodged in protestors bodies. On October 8, 2019, the 
Iraqi military acknowledged the excessive use of 
force. 
(4) The Iraqi government also suppressed free-
dom of expression during the protests through the 
detention of journalists, blocking internet access 
from October 3 through 9, 2019, and again since 
late October, and attacking media outlets. These at-
tacks included intimidation, harassment, and pre-
paring journalist watchlists while also raiding sat-
ellite television stations in Baghdad. 
(5) The Commander of the Iranian Quds Force 
traveled to Iraq in October 2019 and met with mili-
tia leaders from the PMF. The PMF report to the 
Iraqi Prime Minister but many units maintain a 
command structure outside the formal military chain 
of command linked directly to the Iranian Revolu-
tionary Guard Corps. The PMF and the Iranian 
Revolutionary Guard Corps established a joint oper-
ational cell in Baghdad on October 3, 2019, that 
may have directly contributed to the use of excessive 
force and snipers. 
(6) The 2018 Country Reports on Human 
Rights Practices of the Department of State found 
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that ‘‘civilian authorities did not maintain effective 
control over some elements of the security forces, 
particularly certain units of the Popular Mobilization 
Forces (PMF) that were aligned with Iran’’. 
(7) The Government of Iran continues to inter-
vene and maintain influence with the militia leaders 
and Commanders of the PMF. This undermines the 
formal Iraqi chain of command and contributes to 
actions by the PMF that use repressive actions 
against Iraqi protestors to maintain Iranian proxy 
power. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to— 
(1) support democracy and human rights in 
Iraq, including the robust exercise by Iraqis of the 
rights to free speech and assembly as guaranteed to 
them by the Iraqi constitution; 
(2) support calls for meaningful government re-
form to combat corruption and strengthen rule of 
law and transparency; 
(3) condemn any and all attacks on peaceful 
protesters by Iraqi authorities, militias, or others; 
(4) encourage a rapid and full restoration of 
internet services and publicly verifiable measures by 
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the Government of Iraq to protect media workers 
and medical personnel; 
(5) demand accountability for individuals and 
entities involved directly and indirectly in attacks 
and other human rights violations against peaceful 
Iraqi protestors; and 
(6) maintain a robust diplomatic presence 
across Iraq as a sign and tool of the commitment 
and influence of the United States in countering ma-
lign influences in the region, helping Iraq maintain 
its full sovereignty, and contributing to the develop-
ment of a healthy and corruption-free economy that 
serves the Iraqi people. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN 
RIGHTS 
VIOLATIONS 
AGAINST 
IRAQI 
PROTESTORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes— 
(1) a statement whether each person listed in 
subsection (b) meets the criteria to be designated for 
the imposition of sanctions under section 1263 of 
the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 
Act (title XII of the National Defense Authorization 
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Act for Fiscal Year 2017; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) be-
cause such person— 
(A) is responsible for extrajudicial killings, 
torture, or other gross violations of internation-
ally recognized human rights in Iraq with re-
spect to Iraqi protestors seeking to exercise 
their internationally recognized rights and free-
doms since October 2019; or 
(B) acted as an agent of or on behalf of 
a foreign person that committed such violations; 
(2) a list of units of the Iraqi Security Forces 
with respect to which the Secretary of State has 
credible information that such units have committed 
gross violations of human rights in Iraq since Octo-
ber 2019; and 
(3) a certification that such units will not re-
ceive training, equipment, or other assistance from 
the United States, consistent with section 620M of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2378d) and section 362 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(b) PERSONS LISTED.—The persons listed in this 
subsection are the following: 
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(1) Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leader 
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (birth name Jamal Jaafar 
Ibrahim). 
(2) Chief of staff to Prime Minister Adil 
Abdulmahdi, Abu Jihad (birth name Mohammed al- 
Hashimi). 
(3) Head of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali. 
(4) Head of the PMF Central Security Direc-
torate, Abu Zainab al-Lami (birth name Hussein 
Falah al-Lami). 
(5) Adviser for PMF Affairs to Prime Minister 
Abdulmahdi, Abu Muntadher al-Husseini (birth 
name Tahseen Abid Mutar al-Abboudi). 
(6) Head of the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Re-
sponse Division, Abu Turab al-Husseini (birth name 
Thamir Mohammad Ismail). 
(7) Commander of Saraya Talia al-Kurasani 
(PMF Brigade 18), Hamid al-Jazayeri. 
(8) Commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada 
(PMF Brigade 14), Abu Ala al-Walai (birth name 
Hashim Bunyan al-Siraji). 
(9) Head of the PMF Intelligence Directorate, 
Abu Iman al-Bahali. 
Æ 
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