Sako's initial response to Federal Court ruling

Shafaq News / The Chaldean Patriarchate Media, on Thursday, considered the Federal Court ruling on the dismissal of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako's lawsuit aimed at revoking the presidential decree as "an unfair decision."

In a statement today, the media noted, "Our legal representatives have informed us of the Federal Court's decision affirming the validity of the revocation of Decree No. 147 issued in 2013 against Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, providing a copy of the ruling."

The statement clarified that "the court's decision to revoke the decree from Patriarch Sako is based on the absence of a constitutional and legal basis for granting him the decree. However, why was it withdrawn from His Holiness the Patriarch and not from other clergy of lower rank? How is it acceptable to revoke it from him but not from others? Isn't this politicization?"

The statement emphasized, "Granting senior Christian clerics a decree tradition that dates back 1400 years, and the patriarchal decree has been in place for 10 years, what does it mean for the President to decide to annul this ancient tradition now?" It was noted that the decision was reached by five judges out of nine in favor of revocation and four against.

The statement mentioned, "When the President was in Italy, he assured certain individuals that the court would rule in his favor regarding the withdrawal decision," asking, "Can we then consider the judiciary in this case an emblem of justice and equality?"

Concluding, the statement asserted, "The patriarch still deems the revocation of the decree from him as an unjust decision without justification and will not remain silent in demanding his rights."

Earlier today, the Supreme Federal Court (the highest judicial authority in Iraq) announced its decision to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans in Iraq and the world, due to the absence of any irregularities in the issuance procedures of the presidential decree.