Injustice unveiled: Activist's controversial conviction and claims of political interference

Shafaq News / Activists in Al-Muthanna governorate revealed today the details of the case of civil activist Ayham Al-Nuaimi, who was sentenced to two years in prison. They claimed that Iraqi Member of Parliament Basim Khazal Khushan is behind the verdict, as they pointed out that this deputy has started pursuing some activists in the governorate by falsely accusing them of "conspiracy".

The activists informed Shafaq News Agency that "activist Ayham Al-Nuaimi was sentenced to two years in prison by the Muthanna Criminal Court on the pretext of receiving a bribe of a thousand dollars from some individuals for the purpose of appointing them, even though the matter is unrelated and irrelevant. The amount received by Al-Nuaimi was related to a workshop he conducted for some workers, as he is a teacher."

They added that "MP Basim Khushan, due to his disputes with Al-Nuaimi, took advantage of this opportunity and, through one of the workshop's employees, filed a legal complaint against him, accusing him of accepting a bribe in exchange for employment. The complainant gave false testimony, along with his father, against Al-Nuaimi, with the support of Khushan, resulting in the conviction according to Article 308 of the Iraqi Penal Code."

Article 308 of the Iraqi Penal Code states: "Any official who requests, accepts, or receives, for himself or for another, a gift, benefit, or promise thereof to perform or refrain from performing an act that does not fall within the scope of his duties, but is falsely claimed or believed to do so, shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or by imprisonment and a fine, provided that the fine shall not be less than what was requested, given, or promised and shall not exceed 500 dinars in any case."

The activists explained that "Al-Nuaimi spent the past few days in Al-Khanak Prison in poor health conditions. However, today he was surprised by a force from Baghdad arriving to receive him and transfer him to Tisfirat Al-Sha'ab Prison, which houses only ISIS terrorists, making it difficult to visit him and check on his health."

The activists also noted that "Al-Nuaimi had major disagreements with Khushan, despite his contribution to Khushan's victory in the previous parliamentary elections. The dispute revolves around Khushan's failure to cooperate with Al-Nuaimi, who had established a union dedicated to the rights of workers in investment and government facilities in al-Muthanna. He repeatedly asked Khushan to support them, given that he had become a member of parliament, but Khushan refused every time."

Furthermore, the activists pointed out that "Khushan recently entered into conflicts with other activists in the governorate due to his failure to fulfill promises he made before the last elections, most notably the demands related to improving the service situation in Samawah and its outskirts."

The activists emphasized that "Al-Nuaimi's family is currently going through a difficult situation. An intelligence report indicated that they are being targeted at any moment by unlawful entities unless they leave al-Muthanna in the near future. Meanwhile, their sole breadwinner is serving a prison sentence due to an unjust verdict against him."

They called on "the security authorities to return Al-Nuaimi to one of al-Muthanna's prisons after his transfer to Baghdad, as his verdict has not acquired finality yet. The Court of Cassation is still reviewing the decision issued by al-Muthanna Criminal Court."

Shafaq News Agency attempted to obtain a response from MP Basim Khazal Khushan but was unable to do so, leaving the right to respond open to him.