A German art curator and activist has been kidnapped from the street outside her workplace in Baghdad, raising fears that militia activity in Iraq is spiralling out of control.
Hella Mewis was seized by unknown men as she cycled away from the Beit Tarkib arts collective that she helps to run. Two vehicles, one a pick-up truck, were involved. Police stationed nearby did not intervene.
No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Friends said they feared she had been seized by one of the Iran-backed Shia forces which operate openly in Iraq against those they see as hostile to their interests.
Hisham al-Hashemi, a prominent security analyst who focused on the actions of Islamic State and the Shia militias, was shot dead outside his