Iraqi PM tries to assure skeptics of anti-corruption initiative
The new Iraqi prime minister says there will be no tolerance for human rights abuses in battling corruption.
BAGHDAD — Iraq's new government is facing challenges in its campaign against corruption, which Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has made a priority.
On Nov. 16, Sudani announced the formation of a Supreme Anti-Corruption Commission along with a security team led by head of the Falcons intelligence cell Abdul Karim Abed Fadel, aka Abu Ali al-Basri, who holds the position of director general in the Ministry of Interior.
The formation of a commission headed by a security figure sparked concerns among activists that this body may be used for political purposes, with some speculating that those accused could even be subjected to torture.
On Nov. 20, Sudani ordered a special investigation on alleged human rights abuses regarding the prison at Al-Muthana Airport in Baghdad and other prisons. He also instructed the human rights adviser to Sudani to visit the prison at the Baghdad airport, to conduct interviews with the inmates and submit the results as soon as possible.
