Al-Sadr urged his followers to continue the sit-in in front of the Iraqi parliament, but emphasised that there are many reformers and people who desire responsibility for the corrupt in the judiciary, thus he requested that the Judicial Council remove from the building.
And if there is a lukewarmness in that (the court holding the corrupt accountable), it is due to the prevalence of political pressures from endemic corruption against them, said Al-Sadr in a statement.
He said, “And if the pillow had been folded for me, I would have kept the sit-in in front of the Supreme Court going to persuade it to change and hold the corrupt accountable.”
However, in order to protect the beloved revolutionaries’ reputations and to avoid causing harm to the people, I advise withdrawing and keeping the tents under the titles and banners (Sit-in of the Speicher Martyrs), (People of Mosul), (Return of the Looted Funds), (Accounting the Corrupt) without bias, (Remove the Corrupt) and (Separation). Public Prosecution) and (an independent and impartial judiciary), among other titles desired by the public.
Muqtada al-Sadr urged his followers to continue their sit-in in front of the Iraqi parliament if they so desired, emphasising that the decision was theirs.
On the eve of the occurrences in Baghdad, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani delivered an urgent statement in which he underlined the region’s serious worry about what is happening.
Barzani stated, “We are monitoring the political events in Iraq with great attention and worry, which are continually going towards further division, increasing problems, and diminishing opportunities for a settlement.” The crisis threatens the country’s future and societal harmony, and it affects the whole political process, government, and institutions.
Peaceful civil demonstrations are a fundamental right recognised by the constitution, but disrupting the judicial institution worsens the situation, and we urge all parties and protestors to defend institutions and community harmony by remaining on the peaceful and civil road. The country can no longer withstand additional severe crises and tight situations, and any further escalation of tensions would harm the whole Iraqi people.
Al-Sadr urges on his followers to leave the Judicial Council premises.
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