Iraqi court issues arrest warrant for Maysan council chairman — Asharq Al-Awsat
The Third Investigative Court of Al-Karkh in Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for the chairman of the Maysan Provincial Council, Mustafa Duaer al-Muhammadawi. As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, the warrant was issued following a complaint by the office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi related to the official’s statements about the closure of the Al-Shib border crossing on the border with Iran.
Threats to block roads
Iraq’s state-run INA news agency reported that the warrant was issued in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code. According to the court document, the complaint was filed after al-Muhammadawi threatened to declare civil disobedience and block roads connecting Maysan with other Iraqi cities. He also gave the government three days to restore the crossing’s operations.
The prime minister’s office had previously instructed that the statements by the provincial council chairman, which it described as harmful, be investigated, and stressed the need to comply with the law. The warrant was issued under Article 224 of Iraq’s Criminal Code No. 111 of 1969. According to the publication, it provides for punishment of up to life imprisonment for using violence, threats or other illegal means against the head of state or a person performing his duties.
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Closure of the Al-Shib crossing
Al-Muhammadawi, whom the publication describes as a member of the pro-Iranian Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction, said that Maysan could secede from Iraq if demands to restore the movement of goods and passengers were not met. According to him, the crossing’s closure harmed the province’s residents, caused price increases for goods and construction materials, and complicated patients’ trips for treatment.
On Sunday, dozens of truck drivers in Maysan protested against the crossing’s closure; al-Muhammadawi also took part in the protest. Baghdad closed Al-Shib last Tuesday for an indefinite period. Government spokesperson Haider al-Abboudi explained the decision by the inability to complete the technical, technological and development requirements necessary for the facility’s operation.
At the same time, the prime minister’s adviser on tribes and marshlands, Abdul Amir al-Taiban, said that the crossing was closed because of drug and counterfeit money smuggling from Iran. Iran’s embassy in Iraq called these claims false and urged Iraqi authorities to respond to statements which, in the diplomatic mission’s view, harm bilateral relations.
