Iraq court orders arrest of Maysan Provincial Council head

The Karkh Third Investigation Court in Baghdad has issued an arrest warrant for Mustafa al-Mahmoudawi, the head of the Maysan Provincial Council. The warrant follows a complaint from the office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani regarding threats of civil disobedience and the blocking of roads.

Al-Mahmoudawi issued a three-day ultimatum to the federal government to reopen the al-Shayb border crossing with Iran, which was closed by Iraqi authorities on October 20. During a press conference at the crossing, al-Mahmoudawi threatened to declare civil disobedience and spoke of “separating the province from the body of Iraq” if his demands were not met.

The closure of the al-Shayb crossing was reportedly implemented to curb the smuggling of narcotics and counterfeit currency. Officials noted that influential parties have controlled the flow of illegal goods along the border. Meanwhile, protesters have already blocked the Bazarkan road, a vital route to oil company sites in Maysan, to demand the reopening of the border due to economic concerns.