Iraq: Sadrist protesters start sit-in outside Supreme Judicial Council

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Sadrist movement protestors launched on Tuesday a demonstration in front of the Supreme Judicial Council, the country's highest judicial authority, marking yet another escalation in the political crisis ongoing for nearly a year.

Several hundred Sadrists, who have been camping outside Parliament for nearly a month, have erected tents outside the gates of the body's headquarters in the Green Zone, Baghdad, the Iraqi INA news agency reported.

The demonstrators called for the dissolution of parliament and fresh elections after the last polls did not lead to a certain bloc holding the parliamentary majority.

In light of the sit-in, the country's top judicial council announced that it was suspending its works, the Federal Supreme Court's, and its subsidiary courts'.

"The Supreme Judicial Council and the Federal Supreme Court met in person and via videoconference this morning following the open sit-in of the Sadrist movement's demonstrators in front of the Supreme Judicial Council to demand the dissolution of Parliament by pressuring the Federal Supreme Court to issue a decision ordering the dissolution of Parliament," the Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement.

Nearly a year after the country's general election, Baghdad is still running without a new government, prime minister, and president due to domestic disagreement about forming a coalition.

Iraqi officials weigh in

Iraqi President Barham Salih underlined that protesting is protected by the Iraqi constitution. However, he stressed the importance of not hindering the judiciary.

"Peacefully demonstrating and freedom of expression are rights protected by the constitution, but disrupting the work of the judicial institution is a dangerous issue that threatens the country," Salih said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi shortcutted a visit to Egypt and returned to Baghdad in light of the chaos in the capital "to directly follow up on the performance of the duties of the security forces in protecting the institutions of the judiciary and the state."

Al-Kadhimi warned that "disrupting the work of the judicial institution exposes the country to real dangers". "The right to demonstrate is protected by the constitution. It is necessary to respect state institutions so that they can continue working in serving the people."

Iraqi Parliament speaker Mohammad Al-Halboosi also highlighted his support for peaceful demonstrations that do not undermine state institutions and the work of the government and the judiciary. "We must not have a rivalry with the judiciary that we resort to when we have a rivalry of our own," the official said on Twitter.

Al-Kadhimi met with top national officials and party leaders on Wednesday to discuss the political state of the country and the deadlock it is undergoing. However, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada Al-Sadr, a key figure in the Iraqi political arena, did not attend the talks.

The Coordination Framework in the country wants to set conditions, and it is also demanding a transitional government ahead of fresh polls in the country. But political rival Al-Sadr has been calling for the dissolution of parliament for months in order to pave the way for new elections.

Al-Sadr demanded on August 10 that "the Iraqi judiciary dissolve parliament within a period not exceeding the end of next week," and that "the president of the republic set a date for early parliamentary elections," in light of the political impasse in the country.

Demonstrations called for by the Iraqi Coordination Framework "in support of legitimacy and constitution" started in front of Al-Mu'allaq Bridge in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

These sit-ins have been held in parallel with those of the Sadrist movement, with each party having demands of its own.

The main political leaders of Iraq agreed last week to work on a political road map that culminates with a solution to the impasse.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's office earlier that day said early elections were not ruled out. "Resorting to the ballot box once again through early elections is not an unprecedented event in the history of democracies", the statement added, without explicitly calling for them.

The Coordination Framework in Iraq stressed the importance of expediting the process of naming a presidential candidate and the formation of a service government that addresses the crises in the country. 

Earlier in the month, supporters of the Coordination Framework in Iraq flocked to the entrance of the Green Zone to participate in a demonstration raising the slogan of "supporting legitimacy and preserving the constitution," in response to a call by the Framework to the Iraqi people to demonstrate peacefully "to defend their state."

This came after Al-Sadr called on his supporters to demonstrate in favor of their party's demands.