عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraqi Court Releases Sumaidaie Accused of ‘Insulting Authorities’

Federal Court in Baghdad (File photo: Reuters)
Federal Court in Baghdad (File photo: Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Iraqi Court Releases Sumaidaie Accused of ‘Insulting Authorities’

Federal Court in Baghdad (File photo: Reuters)
Federal Court in Baghdad (File photo: Reuters)

The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council released Monday Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie who was in custody on charges of insulting the authorities after he criticized the parliament and the judiciary over the Federal Court Law.

The council issued arrest warrants last Saturday for two prominent political analysts Sumaidaie and Yahya al-Kubaisi accused of publicly "insulting" and "defaming" the authorities.

The council said Sumaidaie was released after recording his statement.

The warrant for his arrest cites Penal Code Article 226 for insulting official institutions by using “bad phrases” which “go beyond the limits of the freedom of expression”, according to the council. The defendant admitted to his mistake and apologized.

The warrant also includes a complaint from the Defense Minister under Article 433/1 of the Penal Code which deals with the charge of defamation of an individual or entity.

The third case is based on the provisions of Article 210 regarding his statement to a TV channel claiming he was offered money to ensure a person a ministerial position.

The arrest of Sumaidaie led to a backlash among Iraqi activists who criticized the Judicial Council for using legal articles dating back to the era of the Baath Party, which allow accountability for critics of the authorities.

The articles contradict the provisions of the constitution that was approved after 2003 and allowed freedom of speech and expression for Iraqi citizens.

The case against Kubaisi, who lives abroad, remains pending. It is not clear if he had appointed lawyers to defend him and drop the charges against him.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Sudan's RSF Conducts First Drone Attack on Port Sudan

Smoke rises from the airport of Port Sudan following reported attacks early on May 4, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke rises from the airport of Port Sudan following reported attacks early on May 4, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
TT
20
TT

Sudan's RSF Conducts First Drone Attack on Port Sudan

Smoke rises from the airport of Port Sudan following reported attacks early on May 4, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke rises from the airport of Port Sudan following reported attacks early on May 4, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities in the vicinity of Port Sudan Airport, a Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday, in the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city.
No casualties were reported from the attacks, the spokesperson said.
The RSF has not commented on the incident, Reuters said.
The RSF has targeted power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months but the strikes had not inflicted heavy casualties.
The drone attack on Port Sudan indicates a major shift in the two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The eastern regions, which shelter a large number of displaced people, had so far avoided bombardment.
The army has responded by beefing up its deployment around vital facilities in Port Sudan and has closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.
Port Sudan, home to the country's primary airport, army headquarters and a seaport, has been perceived as the safest place in the war-ravaged nation.
In March, the army ousted the RSF from its last footholds in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, but the paramilitary RSF holds some areas in Omdurman, directly across the Nile River, and has consolidated its position in west Sudan, splitting the nation into rival zones.
The conflict between the army and the RSF has unleashed waves of ethnic violence and created what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with several areas plunged into famine.
The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. It ruined much of Khartoum, uprooted more than 12 million Sudanese from their homes and left about half of the 50 million population suffering from acute hunger.
Overall deaths are hard to estimate but a study published last year said the toll may have reached 61,000 in Khartoum state alone in the first 14 months of the conflict.