Abdul Aziz “Abu Fadak” al-Mohamadawi, best known as ‘al-Khal’, or ‘the uncle’ in English, took on the role of Chief of Staff of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) after Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was killed on January 3, 2020 by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.

Al-Mohammadawi was a close friend of Soleimani and  had previously worked with the Badr Organization, and took part in Iran’s war against Iraq. He is accused of killing and torturing Iraqi prisoners. Most recently, Al-Mohammadawi served as the secretary-general of Kata’ib Hezbollah which he joined in 2003. He briefly left the organization due to internal disagreements in 2018, but returned to the group in 2018 following direct orders from Soleimani to assist in the repression of the October Movement protesters.

Al-Mohammadawi is a leader in the PMF, the main organization responsible for the repression of the peaceful Tishreen Movement protests, which has resulted in over 600 civilians killed, over 25,000 injured, and over 7,000 forcibly disappeared. More specifically, Iraqi activists hold Al-Mohammadawi responsible for the recent massacre of protesters on the Sinak Bridge and al-Khilani Square on December 6-7, 2019.

The Iranian-backed PMF militias, have been accused of unlawful killings, disappearances, extortion, detention in ‘secret prisons’, sexual abuse, summary executions, discrimination, harassment, abductions, beatings, intimidation, forced evictions, destruction of property, among others.