Iraq
Supporters of Iraqi Muslim Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr raise his portrait as they gather during a protest outside the headquarters of the Supreme Judicial Council, Iraq's highest judicial body, in the capital Baghdad on August 23, 2022. Photo: Ahmed al-Rubaye/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi prime minister cut his visit to Egypt short and returned to Baghdad over renewed demonstrations in the capital by Sadrist protesters outside the country's top judicial body.
Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr flocked to the Supreme Judicial Council and set up tents as they demand the dissolution of parliament and the end of corruption in the country.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi returned to Baghdad from Egypt where he attended a regional summit "in light of the developments of current events in the country and for the direct follow-up of the duties of the security forces in protecting the institutions of the judiciary and the state," read a statement from his office.
Kadhimi warned against disrupting the work of the judiciary and warned that the disruption "exposes the country to real risks" as the body alongside its courts decided to suspend its work after protestors amassed at its gates.
Iraqi President Barham Salih also urged citizens to remain calm and avoid disrupting the judiciary, adding that efforts must be taken to protect the judicial institution’s “prestige and independence.”
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi also urged protestors on Tuesday to refrain from targeting the country's top judicial body following the amassing of protestors outside the building's gates.
"We support the demonstrations in accordance with the legal and constitutional contexts in a manner that preserves the state and its institutions," Halbousi tweeted, stressing that "our rivalry should not be with the judiciary."
Halbousi also urged all parties to abide by the constitution or risk “the absence of legitimacy” that may lead the country “to a lack of international recognition of the entire state’s structure and process.”
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) also called on protestors to respect state institutions.
The right to peaceful protest is an essential element of democracy. Equally important is the assertion of constitutional compliance and respect for state institutions. State institutions must operate unimpeded in service of the Iraqi people, including the SJC.
— UNAMI (@UNIraq) August 23, 2022
Kadhimi was expected to participate in a regional summit with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to address several topics and assert Iraq's efforts to continue supporting dialogue in the region.
Iraq remains marred by a suffocating political deadlock that has left the war-torn country without a government a record ten months after early elections in October. The political impasse in the country is attributed to disagreements between Sadr and rivals Coordination Framework, a pro-Iran alliance.
Updated at 1:58pm
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