Iraq’s judiciary is expected to examine two complaints to probe the voice recordings attributed to former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in which he criticized politicians, notably his rival cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Known in Iraq as the “Maliki WikiLeaks”, the former PM threatened to attack Najaf city to protect the country’s highest Shiite authority should Sadr attack it himself.
Lawyers who filed the complaints have demanded that Maliki be held accountable for the recordings, which they said “harm national security and incite strife and sectarian violence.”
A rights source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Maliki may be tried in a special court over terrorism charges.
He added, however, that a trial is unlikely because the judiciary in Iraq is politicized.
On Wednesday, activist and journalist Ali Fadhel released around one minute of the recording. He has around 48 minutes worth of recordings and will release a minute or two a day so that they will have a popular and political impact in the country.
In the latest recording on Sunday, Maliki said: “The coming phase is that of fighting. I told this yesterday to Prime Minister [Mustafa] al-Kadhimi.”
“I told him that I am not relying on you, the army or the police. They will not do anything,” he was heard saying.
“Iraq is approaching a brutal war from which no one will emerge unscathed unless we manage to stop Sadr, [parliament Speaker Mohammed] al-Halbousi and Masoud Barzani,” he added.
Maliki’s remarks clearly date back to two months when the Sadr-Halbousi-Barzani alliance was still standing. Around a month ago, Sadr’s parliamentary bloc of 73 MPs resigned from the legislature.
Maliki was also heard saying that he was arming ten to 15 groups “in preparation for the critical phase.”
He said he would attack Najaf and protect the Shiite authority and the people should Sadr attack.
The former PM also expressed his disappointment with the Popular Mobilization Forces, ruling out the possibility of working with them and describing them as a “nation of cowards.”
Maliki has since twice denied that his voice was in the recordings.
Iraqis have dismissed his denial, saying the voice and ideas expressed in the recordings were “exactly how the former PM would think and act.”
Iraqi researcher at Arizona State University Saleem Suzah said he has no doubt that the recordings are that of Maliki.
In a Facebook post, he added that the tone of voice and manner of speaking heard in the recordings match Maliki’s.
Political researcher Yehya al-Kabisi said Maliki’s remarks are nothing new as these are statements he has often spoken to his guests. But this is the first time they are released in the open.
Sadr, meanwhile, has dismissed the recordings and called on his supporters to do the same because “we have no regard for Maliki.”
