Nigerian police fired apparently unlawfully on a peaceful protest by the Shia Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in the capital, Abuja, on July 22, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today.

Eleven protesters, a journalist, and a police officer were killed, while dozens of others were wounded or arrested, according to witnesses and authorities. The Shia movement was protesting the detention since 2015 of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, and calling for the authorities to allow him proper medical care. Parliament shut down for an afternoon after a July 9 protest by the group at the Nigerian National Assembly.

“The Nigerian police’s apparent rush to use firearms against Shia movement protesters is unlawful and counterproductive,” said Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should bring an end to their violent crackdown on the Shia Islamic Movement in Nigeria, and investigate the excessive use of force by the police.”

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