Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits challenging halabja province and maritime decisions
Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed four high-profile lawsuits, including challenges to the formal establishment of Halabja as a province and to a government decision regarding the country's maritime boundaries.
Halabja Lawsuits Dismissed
Two of the lawsuits challenged the legal basis for Iraq's 2025 recognition of Halabja as the country's nineteenth province. One case, filed by five lawmakers—including members of the parliamentary legal committee—alleged that the April 14 vote in Parliament to approve Halabja's status lacked a constitutional quorum.
The court rejected the claim, affirming that the legislative procedures met constitutional requirements. Under Article 59 of Iraq's Constitution, a parliamentary session is valid if an absolute majority of lawmakers is present.
A separate case, filed by MP Amir al-Mamouri, contested Presidential Decree No. 19, issued on April 29, 2025, which formally established Halabja as a province following parliamentary approval. This challenge was also rejected.
Halabja, long the subject of local demands for administrative autonomy, gained symbolic importance after the 1988 chemical attack that killed thousands of civilians. The court's decisions now legally consolidate Halabja's provincial status within Iraq's federal framework.
Court Upholds Government's Maritime Map
The court also ruled against two separate lawsuits filed by MPs Saud al-Saadi and Amir al-Mamouri that sought to annul Cabinet Decision No. 266 of 2025, which approved Iraq's updated maritime map for submission to the United Nations.
The plaintiffs argued the decision threatened Iraqi sovereignty, and one of the lawsuits requested a temporary injunction ('wilaya order') to suspend the implementation. The court declined to issue the injunction, finding no sufficient legal basis to halt the government's move.
Maritime border demarcation is a sensitive issue for Iraq, which has only a limited coastline along the Persian Gulf. The maps in question define Iraq's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, with implications for navigation rights, resource exploration, and regional diplomacy.
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