Thousands Rally Against Iraqi Prime Minister

In the hot seat: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (file photo)

Thousands of people have rallied in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq to protest against the country’s Shi'ite-led government.

In the western cities of Fallujah and Baquba, protesters blocked the main highway on February 15 to Jordan and Syria.

Others gathered in the cities of Samarra, Mosul, and Kirkuk, as well as in several neighborhoods of Baghdad.

Demonstrations have swept Sunni-majority areas of Iraq for the past weeks.

Protesters say Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government persecutes the country's Sunni Muslim minority.

They are calling for the release of prisoners and the reform of antiterror legislation.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP