Shafaq News- Baghdad

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki on Friday called on politicians, media figures and bloggers to avoid circulating what he described as fabricated or manipulated accusations and material, urging greater restraint in public and political discourse.

In a statement, Al-Maliki, who heads the State of Law Coalition, warned that airing political “dirty laundry” and circulating false or manipulated material could prompt retaliatory attacks and deepen tensions among political forces.

He said such practices create space for those seeking to “provoke disputes,” adding that political disagreements should not turn into personal hostility or campaigns of mutual abuse.

Addressing his supporters, Al-Maliki urged them to defend him through “responsible” language and avoid attacking or insulting other political actors in his name.

“We reject any statement or attack against any party that is attributed to us,” he said, calling on supporters to “think carefully” before publishing or responding to political content.

He also appealed to his political opponents to adopt dialogue and mutual respect, saying Iraq’s current circumstances required efforts to reduce tensions and preserve national cohesion.

Al-Maliki has previously faced controversy over disputed audio recordings. In 2022, recordings attributed to him circulated online containing remarks about political rivals and other actors. He rejected them as fabricated, while Iraqi fact-checking group Technology for Peace said its analysis found no evidence that the recordings had been fabricated through audio manipulation. The Iraqi judiciary opened an investigation into the recordings, and Al-Maliki appeared before a Baghdad investigative court in October 2022 before being released on bail.

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