Iraqi president warns of the consequences of the judiciary's suspension 

Shafaq News/ Iraq's outgoing President Barham Salih on Tuesday warned of the reverberations of the Supreme Judicial Council's decision to suspend its activities all over Iraq amid pressure from supporters of the powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to dissolve the parliament.

In a statement issued by his bureau today, President Salih urged the Iraqi political forces to pursue dialogue and ensure the country does not slide into a perilous and unknown abyss. 

"The rights of peaceful demonstrations and free expression of opinions are guaranteed by the constitution, but disrupting the work of the Judicial institution is dangerous for the country's security. We should protect the Judiciary's independence and prestige, and the demands shall be confined within the legal and constitutional frameworks."

Salih said that the critical situation in Iraq requires "unity and protecting the peaceful democracy our people made huge sacrifices to achieve. We should not lose at any cost and work to avoid any escalation that might undermine the social peace and stability."