Supreme Court overturns dismissal of Nineveh Council Chief

Shafaq News – Nineveh

Iraq’s Supreme Administrative Court on Sunday reinstated Ahmad al-Hasoud as chairman of the Nineveh Provincial Council, after months of political and legal dispute over the legitimacy of his removal.

The Nineveh Council had earlier voted to dismiss al-Hasoud, who responded by filing a legal challenge before the Administrative Court.

According to an official court document, the judges determined that the council’s decision lacked a legal foundation and formally upheld al-Hasoud’s cassation appeal in both form and substance.

Al-Hasoud, a member of the Future Nineveh Alliance aligned with Iraq’s Coordination Framework—a coalition of predominantly Shiite political parties—has been at the center of a prolonged power struggle in the province. The dispute began in July 2024, when the council led by al-Hasoud’s bloc moved to dismiss and appoint several district and sub-district heads, a decision boycotted by the rival United Nineveh and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) blocs, which denounced it as illegal.

In March 2025, al-Hasoud was himself voted out by a majority of council members from the United Nineveh and KDP blocs, who accused him of forging his academic credentials and committing legal violations. He denied the allegations and claimed the session was a violation of due process.

Read more: Crisis in Nineveh: Deadlock and division jeopardize Provincial Council