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Activist Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail for Criticizing PMF in Iraq 

Activist Haidar al-Zeidi. (Haidar al-Zeidi Facebook page)
Activist Haidar al-Zeidi. (Haidar al-Zeidi Facebook page)
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Activist Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail for Criticizing PMF in Iraq 

Activist Haidar al-Zeidi. (Haidar al-Zeidi Facebook page)
Activist Haidar al-Zeidi. (Haidar al-Zeidi Facebook page)

The Iraqi judiciary sentenced on Monday an activist to three years in prison for “insulting state institutions” after criticizing the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). 

In a Facebook post, Haidar al-Zeidi, 24, said he had been previously arrested by the PMF and detained for two weeks before being released on bail. 

He can appeal the ruling. 

Article 226 of the penal code, which dates back to the Baath era and the rule of late President Saddam Hussein, stipulates the imprisonment of no more than seven years of anyone who openly insults the parliament, government, judiciary, armed forces or any other state institutions. 

Penalties may also include detention or fines. 

The article had long been criticized by rights and civil groups that have compared it to dictatorial practices. 

Zeidi’s sentence was widely condemned by activists, who slammed the PMF for carrying out duties that should be limited to the interior ministry and security agencies. 

Head of the Beit Watani (National Home) party, Hussein al-Ghorabi said: “Welcome to dictatorship. Haidar al-Zeidi was sentenced to three years in jail over a tweet criticizing one of the political gods in Iraq. No to the stifling of freedoms.” 

Journalist Hamed al-Sayyed said the sentence is “the worst offense against any martyr.” 

Meanwhile, former MP Mithal al-Alusi revealed that he was sentenced to seven years in prison for insulting the judiciary. 

In a tweet on Sunday shortly after the ruling, he said he would refrain from commenting on the sentence. 

A secular politician, Alusi had returned to Iraq after the 2003 US invasion. He was twice elected to parliament. In 2004, al-Qaeda assassinated his only two sons in front of his Baghdad home. 

He has been a supporter of normalizing relations with Israel and has been living in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. 

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Salam: $12 Billion Needed for Lebanon’s Post-War Reconstruction

Officials are seen at the roundtable on the Emergency Support Project for Lebanon. (Prime Minister’s Office)
Officials are seen at the roundtable on the Emergency Support Project for Lebanon. (Prime Minister’s Office)
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Salam: $12 Billion Needed for Lebanon’s Post-War Reconstruction

Officials are seen at the roundtable on the Emergency Support Project for Lebanon. (Prime Minister’s Office)
Officials are seen at the roundtable on the Emergency Support Project for Lebanon. (Prime Minister’s Office)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the cost of the country’s recovery following the latest destructive war with Israel is estimated at approximately $12 billion, stressing that the goal “is not only to rebuild, but to build back better through a more sustainable, inclusive, and transparent approach.”

Speaking at a roundtable on the “Emergency Support Project for Lebanon,” Salam outlined the urgent need for international funding to rehabilitate critical services and public infrastructure severely damaged by the war.

The event gathered diplomats from Arab, European, and Western countries, alongside representatives from global institutions and aid organizations.

“Lebanon stands at a critical crossroads,” Salam said in his opening remarks. “Despite hopes for a summer of renewal, the country is grappling with the devastating consequences of the Israeli war, which has cost many lives and crippled essential infrastructure nationwide.”

According to Salam, the Nabatieh and South Governorates suffered the most destruction, followed by parts of Mount Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs. The economic toll has been steep, with Lebanon’s real GDP contracting by 7.1% in 2024, compared to just 0.9% the previous year. Since 2020, Lebanon’s economy has shrunk by nearly 40%, deepening an already severe financial crisis.

To address this, the government launched the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Program (LEAP) initiative, a $1 billion framework designed to transition from immediate relief to long-term reconstruction.

Salam described LEAP as a transformative agenda, not merely a stopgap measure. The program focuses on restoring services, rebuilding infrastructure, and laying the foundation for climate-resilient and inclusive recovery.

LEAP prioritizes transparency and regional equity, with mechanisms across ministries to ensure aid reaches the communities most in need. “This is not a project Lebanon can undertake alone,” Salam said. “We are calling for coordinated international support within a unified, state-led framework that strengthens national institutions and rebuilds public trust.”

“The collapse of Lebanon’s financial sector is not just due to crisis,” he added, “but to years of poor governance and impunity. Meaningful reform is no longer optional, it is essential.”

In a related development, Salam revealed that over 500 weapons depots in southern Lebanon have been dismantled as part of broader efforts to restore state authority. He also confirmed enhanced security at Beirut’s international airport, while reiterating calls on Israel to halt its attacks and withdraw from disputed border areas.