Latest news with #KhorAbdullah
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Supreme Court resignations threaten November vote
Shafaq News/ Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, set for November 11, 2025, are in jeopardy after mass resignations paralyzed the country's highest court, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) warned on Friday. Imad Jameel, IHEC's media head, told Shafaq News that the Federal Supreme Court—the only body authorized to certify election results—cannot operate without a full bench, cautioning, 'If these resignations are upheld, the legal basis for holding elections collapses.' For now, Jameel confirmed that preparations are moving forward. Unless the resignations are officially accepted or reversed, the commission will continue to follow its operational timeline, supported by an approved budget and electoral law. 'No postponement is currently under consideration.' The crisis erupted on June 19, when six judges and three alternates resigned, effectively suspending the court's operations. Judicial sources attributed the move to escalating tensions with the Supreme Judicial Council, fueled by disputes over the General Amnesty Law, the Khor Abdullah maritime pact with Kuwait, and a controversial Retirement Law. The resigning judges also accused Chief Justice Faiq Zidan of yielding to political pressure, undermining the court's independence despite public claims to the contrary. Legal experts are calling this the most serious judicial crisis since the 2003 US-led invasion. Earlier today, Hazem al-Rudaini, deputy head of Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights, warned that without the court, the election process could grind to a halt.
Shafaq News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq's judiciary shaken: Judges' resignation threatens elections
Shafaq News/ Iraq's judiciary is facing paralysis after the mass resignation of Federal Supreme Court judges deepened a constitutional crisis tied to the annulment of the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait—threatening the country's ability to certify elections and uphold legal continuity. The crisis erupted after nine judges, including all six permanent members, stepped down in protest over what insiders described as mounting political interference, casting doubt over the November 11 parliamentary elections, which cannot proceed without the court's formal ratification of results. 'The judiciary's ability to function is now in question,' a senior judicial official told Shafaq News, warning of broader repercussions across Iraq's legal and constitutional systems. Other insiders cited dissatisfaction with court administration as a contributing factor, further complicating efforts to stabilize the institution. Parliamentarian Amer Abduljabbar, head of the Al-Faw Zakho Gathering, criticized the government's role in the standoff, warning of external interference in the appeals submitted by the presidency and cabinet to reverse the court's ruling. 'It is deeply troubling that the President and Prime Minister are contesting a ruling issued by the court—not Parliament—despite their constitutional responsibilities,' Abduljabbar said, adding that 96 lawmakers have signed a petition urging the executive to withdraw its challenge. He further accused Kuwait of orchestrating diplomatic pressure through the Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia to undermine the decision. 'The timing and coordination raise serious concerns about foreign influence,' he noted. Basra-based organizations, including maritime unions and tribal leaders, issued a joint statement backing the judiciary. 'We reject any attempt to compromise Iraq's sovereignty over Khor Abdullah. The court must stand firm and fulfill its constitutional mandate,' the statement read. The Federal Supreme Court had ruled on September 4, 2023, that Law No. 42 of 2013—ratifying the Iraq-Kuwait maritime agreement—was unconstitutional for failing to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority, as required under Article 61/4 of the Iraqi constitution. While the presidency and cabinet maintain that the agreement merely organized maritime navigation and did not alter borders, legal experts argue the ruling reinforced Iraq's jurisdiction beyond border marker 162 and reaffirmed the need for proper legislative procedures.
Kuwait Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Court adjourns hearings on Khor Abdullah appeals
Court adjourns hearings on Khor Abdullah appeals BAGHDAD: The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned hearings on two appeals submitted by Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, challenging the court's earlier decision to annul Law No 42 of 2013. The law ratified the bilateral agreement between Iraq and Kuwait on the regulation of maritime navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway. According to the court's official schedule, both cases will now be heard in adjourned sessions without pleadings on June 25. President Rashid and Premier Al-Sudani filed separate appeals in mid-April, seeking to overturn the ruling that invalidated the agreement, and called for the reinstatement of the ratified law. The court had initially set April 22 to consider the lawsuits but subsequently postponed the hearings multiple times - first to June 30, then to June 22, before moving the date up to June 19. It has now rescheduled the hearings once again to June 25. The court's ruling on the matter holds significant implications for Iraq's international agreements and its diplomatic relations with Kuwait. — KUNA
Shafaq News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq court delays ruling on Khor Abdullah treaty challenge
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed its ruling on legal appeals filed by Iraq's President Abdullatif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who are seeking to reverse a landmark decision that invalidated the 2013 Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait. The court rescheduled its decision to June 22, 2025, extending a high-profile legal battle over Iraq's commitment to a key international treaty. In September 2023, the court declared the parliamentary ratification of the Khor Abdullah agreement unconstitutional, sparking diplomatic tensions and prompting President Rashid and PM al-Sudani to file separate petitions urging the court to reconsider. A source familiar with the case told Shafaq News the appeals demand the court overturn its previous ruling and reinstate Law No. 42 of 2013, which ratified the agreement governing maritime navigation between Iraq and Kuwait. Raed al-Maliki, a member of parliament, welcomed the delay. 'The postponement is better than a ruling that might favor the government,' he said in a Facebook post, calling for 'greater public and media mobilization to expand the circle of pressure in support of the court's position.' The Khor Abdullah agreement, signed in 2012 and ratified by Iraq in 2013, aimed to regulate navigation in the strategically sensitive waterway shared by both nations. The treaty became a point of contention after the court ruled that the ratification process violated constitutional procedures. In his appeal, Rashid argued that the court's ruling undermined Iraq's obligations under international law, citing Article 8 of the Iraqi Constitution, which commits the country to honor treaties and maintain good neighborly relations. Al-Sudani echoed that view in his filing, referencing the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. He warned that dismissing the agreement would harm Iraq's international credibility and violate the principle that internal laws cannot justify noncompliance with international commitments.
Iraqi News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
The Federal Court postpones consideration of the appeal filed regarding Khor Abdullah until mid-June
Baghdad-INA The Federal Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to postpone consideration of the appeal filed regarding the Khor Abdullah issue until mid-June. The court's president, Judge Jassim Mohammed Abboud Al-Amiri, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The court has decided to postpone consideration of the appeal filed regarding the Khor Abdullah issue until mid-June." The Federal Supreme Court had previously decided to postpone its ruling on the lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid regarding the Khor Abdullah Agreement.
