In the early hours of last Monday, the acting president of Baghdad’s Air Force Club, Bashir Fadhel Ahmadani, was found lying in a pool of his own blood in the kitchen of his Mansour home, west of the Iraqi capital.

The body of Ahmadani’s wife and three children were also found riddled with bullets. Only the youngest daughter, aged four, survived the assassination, current hospitalised in a critical condition. His two children, aged eight and 11, sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Ahmadani’s neighbour told Sharqiyya News how the youngest daughter clambered her way down the staircase of her home to reach the front porch where neighbours found her.

Colleagues knew him as a man of charisma, unlikely to have had enemies or be embroiled in any tribal conflict.

After a government ruling in Finland declared Iraq as safe, a number of deportation orders were issued by Finnish immigration services. Although many had left Iraq in fear of their life, they were told it was ok to return. Outraged, protesters and activists took to the streets in February, in Kolmen Sepan Aukio square, Helsinki.

The streets have been populated by impassioned Iraqi and Finnish protesters for the past 5 months, waving placards and chanting for justice. The 140 day long protests were cut short midway through last week, after police ordered their closure.

Police officials argued the upcoming Pride festival would coincide with demonstrations - despite the fact that both events were due to take place in different areas. With some misgivings Iraqi and Finnish protesters complied with these demands.

“We’ve made progress” said Mustafa, one of the organisers. “The demonstrations have been gradually growing, and many Finns have joined the cause”.