Iraqi Sunni Provinces Suspend Work in Protest Against Federal Supreme Court Decision

Peregraf

Official work has been suspended in the Sunni-majority provinces of Nineveh, Salahuddin, and Anbar, with all government offices set to close tomorrow in protest against the Federal Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the implementation of the general amnesty law.

The move comes amid growing outrage among Sunni political leaders, ministers, and parliamentarians, who have strongly opposed the court’s ruling. They have called for widespread demonstrations, with former Iraqi Parliament Speaker and leader of the Progress Party, Mohammed al-Halbousi, issuing a sharp condemnation.

“We will confront and oppose this decision by all means, and we call for massive demonstrations that shake the foundations of injustice,” Halbousi declared. “We do not accept that the Federal Court be politicized and that legislation be disregarded. The general amnesty law was passed to provide justice to the innocent and oppressed, and we reject any attempt to allow terrorism to resurface.”

The Federal Supreme Court’s ruling, announced on Tuesday, temporarily halts the implementation of three recently passed laws concerning land restitution, general amnesty, and personal status after legal challenges were filed. The Iraqi parliament had approved the laws on January 21 following months of political wrangling.

• The land restitution law seeks to return lands confiscated under Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime to their original Kurdish and Turkmen owners in Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

• The general amnesty amendment modifies the definition of affiliation with terrorist organizations under the 2016 law, a demand pushed by Sunni lawmakers who argue that many Sunnis have been wrongfully imprisoned since 2003.

• The personal status law amendment allows religious authorities to oversee marriage, divorce, and inheritance matters, a move backed by Shiite lawmakers but widely criticized by activists and women’s rights groups.

While the Federal Supreme Court has not provided an official explanation for the suspension, Iraqi media reports indicate that a Shiite lawmaker challenged the amendments, prompting the court’s intervention.

The court’s decision has deepened political tensions. Kurdish and Turkmen lawmakers insist that the land restitution law corrects historical injustices, while Sunni leaders argue that the general amnesty reform is crucial for fairness in the legal system. Meanwhile, women’s rights activists and over 130 lawmakers have voiced strong opposition to the personal status law amendment, warning that it could lead to child marriage and undermine women’s rights.

With the Federal Supreme Court now reviewing the case, the fate of these laws remains uncertain, further fueling Iraq’s political divisions.