Kurdish Islamist leader slams Iraq's "politicized" judiciary

Shafaq News/ Irfan Abdul Aziz, the leader of Iraq's Kurdistan Islamic Movement (KIM), criticized the Iraqi judiciary on Sunday, claiming a lack of independence and accusing the federal court of using rulings as "political tools" against the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking in Erbil during the KIM's 38th-anniversary celebration, Abdul Aziz expressed regret for the unaddressed calls for reform since 2009. "We emphasized reform as a long-term solution, but internal political divisions have led to despair among citizens and weakened the Kurdistan Region," he stated.

He blamed the region's current struggles, including a paralyzed parliament, on these internal rifts. "This dysfunction has emboldened Baghdad to interfere and the federal court to issue rulings that many see as politically motivated," Abdul Aziz argued. "Only through unity can we overcome these challenges."

"We were the first Islamic armed force to fight alongside Kurdish national forces," he said, as he recounted meetings with prominent Kurdish leaders Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani who "supported KIM's role in filling a perceived ideological gap within the Kurdish movement."

"Our collective efforts abroad were crucial in advocating for the Kurdish cause," Abdul Aziz said.