Shafaq News- Baghdad

Former Iraqi lawmaker Mishaan al-Jubouri on Friday refused to appear before a Baghdad court over a complaint filed against him, accusing Supreme Judicial Council head Judge Faiq Zaidan of targeting him.

The Baghdad al-Karkh Court of Appeal recently issued an arrest warrant for al-Jubouri following a complaint submitted by Mohammed al-Halbousi, leader of the Taqaddum (Progress) Party and former speaker of Iraq’s parliament.

In a post on X, al-Jubouri said he had reviewed the warrant, noting that the case refers to Article 430 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which concerns threats. He claimed the judiciary was being used against him due to what he called a “close relationship” between Zaidan and al-Halbousi.

The two officials have yet to comment on al-Jubouri's claims.

In 2022, legal expert Ali al-Tamimi said the former lawmaker was facing up to 15 years in prison on charges of document forgery.

Iraqi security forces recently arrested Yazan al-Jubouri, the secretary-general of the Homeland (al-Watan) Party and Mishaan al-Jubouri’s son, during a raid on his residence on charges of impersonating a public official and carrying out official duties without authorization to obtain financial benefits.