Hawzah News Agency - Iraq’s most prominent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called on the Baghdad government to launch a thorough investigation into the wave of violence during recent protests against corruption, staggering youth unemployment and poor public services, which started in the capital and then spread to other cities.

In a statement read out by his representative Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai during a sermon in the holy city of Kerbala on Friday, Ayatollah Sistani gave authorities “two weeks” to release the findings of the investigation into the more than a hundred deaths recorded during the protests since October 1.

e also “demanded that the government investigate to find out which elements gave orders to shoot protesters, whatever their affiliation.”

“The government must change its approach in dealing with the country's problems,” the revered cleric said, adding that lawmakers also bore a heavy responsibility.

Ayatollah Sistani went on to call on authorities to act to “put an end to threats, beatings, abductions, sniper fire and violence by those who believe they can act with total impunity.”

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi pledged to reshuffle his cabinet, launch a probe into the killing of protesters, and punish those who shot the demonstrators.