Iraq: Sadr's call rejected by the Supreme Judicial Council

After the leader of the Sadrist Movement urged the Iraqi judiciary to dissolve the Iraqi Parliament, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) said on Sunday that it does not have the authority to do so. The SJC also called on all parties not to involve the judiciary in political rivalries.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr made his call on Wednesday, days after his supporters stormed the parliament in protest against the prime ministerial candidate of the rival Coordination Framework, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and launched an indefinite sit-in.

The SJC said in a statement that it agrees with Al-Sadr's observation of the negative situation witnessed by the country, and added:

"As for the call to dissolve the parliament, the Council had already received a similar call in March 2022 [before the resignation of the Sadrist bloc deputies] and its answer at that time was that it does not have the authority to dissolve the parliament, because the functions of SJC are solely related to the affairs of the judiciary, and do not include any authority that allows it to interfere in the affairs of the legislative or executive branches."

The Council also called on all political parties and media institutions "not to involve the judiciary in rivalries and political competitions."

The political deadlock in Iraq has been continuing since the elections last October as political parties have not been able to come to terms to form a new government.