Iraq has endured years of war, conflict and terror. Here we are, 20 years after the start of the US invasion, 5 years after the end of the brutal ISIS regime and 3 years after the crackdown on the youth protest movement (which became known as “Tishreen” protests).

In my several visits to Iraq in recent years, I have met with a number of human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, Yazidi families and others. Many are outraged that this movement has been violently suppressed. But despite all the horrors that took place in the country, the spirit of the youth protest movement is alive! The young generation in Iraq holds the key to the country’s future, and it is up to the EU to support them as much as possible.

You can see the whole speech in the video.