Assassinations, bomb attacks and threats: in Iraq an “environment of fear and intimidation” targeting activists and protesters has put a stranglehold on freedom of expression, the UN warned on Thursday. In a report documenting 26 incidents since May 2021 that it said were “aimed at suppressing dissent and criticism” and “carried out by ‘unidentified armed elements'”, the United Nations warned of the deadly threats that activists face. Among the 26 cases investigated, they include “one targeted killing, three attempted targeted killings, five violent assaults, one house raid, 14 attacks using i…