Iraq intensifies crackdown on armed factions through judicial rulings

Iraq is experiencing a significant push to consolidate state sovereignty by restricting the use of weapons to official government institutions. This effort to end the phenomenon of ‘uncontrolled weapons’ is being reinforced by a series of decisive judicial actions against members of armed factions.

The Central Criminal Court in Baghdad has issued several heavy sentences, including a 15-year prison term for a prominent leader of Kata'ib Hezbollah following the kidnapping of an American journalist. Additionally, members of the same group received similar sentences for targeting diplomatic missions and the U.S. Embassy in the Green Zone.

In a separate ruling, the Karkh Criminal Court sentenced three members of an armed faction to 15 years in prison under anti-terrorism laws for launching Katyusha rockets at the K1 base in Kirkuk. The judiciary is increasingly classifying attacks on foreign missions and official sites as ‘terrorist crimes’ under the 2005 Anti-Terrorism Law, rather than treating them as political incidents.

Faiq Zidan, President of the Supreme Judicial Council, has emphasized that the judiciary will not tolerate groups targeting state institutions or foreign missions, stating that the ‘voice of the judiciary must be louder than the sound of explosions.’ This legal crackdown represents a direct challenge to armed groups that hold significant political and social influence within the country.