Baghdad:At least 485 people have been killed and 27,000 others injured in the widespread anti-government protests that took place across Iraq since October, an official from a human rights watchdog said.
"The death toll since the beginning of the protests in October until now has reached 485, with 27,000 injured reported from across all Iraqi provinces that witnessed demonstrations and sit-ins," Ali al-Baiyati, a member of the Iraqi Independent High Commission for Human Rights, told Xinhua news agency.
Mass demonstrations have continued in Baghdad and other cities in central and southern Iraq since early October, demanding comprehensive reform, fight against corruption, better public services and more job opportunities.
Al-Baiyati said the total number of detainees from the demonstrators reached 2,807, with 107 still under detention.