Shafaq News – Baghdad

On Thursday, an Iraqi court sentenced former lawmaker Mohammed al-Daini to six months in prison, ordering his immediate detention, according to MP Mustafa Jabbar Sanad.

Sanad said the ruling stemmed from a complaint he filed after al-Daini used the derogatory term “al-Ataga”, a slang term meaning “the leftovers,” or “the useless old guard”, in reference to politicians from the Shiite community during a television interview.

Al-Daini also faces separate legal cases, including accusations of seizing property belonging to Iraq’s last Jewish citizen and other real estate in Baghdad without proper contracts, according to Sanad. Families affected have recently filed lawsuits, alleging years of intimidation.

Iraq’s judiciary had already issued arrest warrants against al-Daini and his brother in March. He has previously been accused of unlawfully acquiring assets from political figures, including the family of former Baghdad governor Saber al-Douri.

Al-Daini has denied the charges in televised remarks, vowing to launch counter-lawsuits against those “targeting him.”