Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi said his Cabinet took the first steps towards prosecuting and punishing those involved in killing and attacking protesters and activists.

Anti-government protests began last October over unemployment and poor public services. They turned violent in a heavy-handed approach by security forces that resulted in the killing of more than 500 people, with thousands injured.

“The first duty of any government is to defend the rights and dignity of its citizens,” Mr Al Kadhimi said during a meeting with members of the Independent Human Rights Commission on Saturday.

The protesters appeared to be independent of any political party and seemingly took the security forces by surprise. Various human rights organisations called on the government to rein in the security forces and investigate the killings.

“The government has made an accurate account of those that were killed and injured and it is now proceeding with legal matters,” Mr Al Kadhimi said.

He showed real support and seriousness towards the Independent Human Rights Commission in bringing the perpetrators to justice, Ali Al Bayati, a member of the commission, told The National.

“We had different meetings with many other ministers and from the first impression some of them were not aware about the mandate of the commission,” Mr Al Bayati said.

The commission was established to monitor the government’s actions in bringing justice to the public in reference to human rights breaches, he said.

“If they don’t understand the mandate then I cannot do my job," he said.

The meeting with Mr Al Kadhimi focused on the breaches committed during the protests.

“We focused on co-operation to investigate all violations and to take real steps to stop it from occurring again. The prime minister welcomed that and mentioned that the government is ready to provide help and support,” Mr Al Bayati said.

Transparency and real accountability is needed to achieve solid results, he said, as well having an independent institution.

This month, a female activist, Riham Yaqoob, was shot dead in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. It was the third attack in a week.

Yaqoob was a doctor who led anti-government protests in the city.

Her death triggered a new wave of anti-government protests that demanded authorities to find those responsible.

Following the killings, Mr Al Kadhimi sacked the Basra police and national security chiefs and opened an investigation into the violence.

Basra, which produces a massive share of Iraq's oil, has been rocked by large-scale anti-government protests since October.

The National