Talking to Al-Arabiya Al-Jadeead newspaper, head of the Daraji tribe, Sheikh Awni Sahib from the city of al-Diwaniyah, criticized the government for calling their youths as "spies and agents of Saudi Arabia, Israel, and former Baath regime figures" while they were about five years when the previous regime was toppled in 2003.
"A 20-year boy has not heard of anything except lies," the tribal figure told the news agency.
He further pointed out that people at their age in the other countries "spend a good and secured life while youths in Iraq can't have a normal life".
Thousands of people have been protesting against the poor public services and job opportunities since over the past two weeks in southern parts of Iraq in which over a dozen have been killed and more than 250 people, including security personnel, were injured, according to Iraqi reports.
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