Iraqi judiciary initiates procedures to hold MPs accountable on corruption charges

The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq has asked the speaker of parliament to lift the immunity of a number of legislators in order for them to be investigated on charges of corruption. While this request was previously made on an individual level, this time around, the immunity lifting request was for a group.

On May 11, the judiciary requested that the immunity of 18 members of parliament belonging to various political blocs be lifted on charges of corruption and defamation. The parliament, which has yet to convene, has not been able to respond to the Judicial Council’s request.

A source in the office of parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi told Al-Monitor, “We have received these requests but have yet to respond thereto. We will do so during the coming period. The speaker of the parliament is to include such requests in parliament’s agenda and put them to the vote in a bid to lift the immunity of MPs included in the requests.”

According to Article 20 of the internal regulations of the Iraqi parliament, a member of parliament cannot be arrested during their legislative term unless caught in the act of committing a crime or accused of a crime, and only then once a majority approves of lifting the concerned legislator’s immunity.