07-07-2025
Iraqi MP keeps seat despite defamation conviction
Shafaq News - Baghdad
On Monday, the Iraqi Parliament's General Secretariat confirmed that the misdemeanor court ruling against lawmaker Alya Nsaif Jassim does not affect her parliamentary membership or future candidacy rights.
According to an official document issued by the Legal Affairs Department, the Rusafa Misdemeanor Court ordered Nsaif to pay a fine in a defamation-related misdemeanor case. The document clarified that the ruling does not require lifting parliamentary immunity under the Iraqi constitution and applicable laws.
مجلس النواب أوضح هذا اليوم ببيان رسمي لدائرة الشؤون القانونية أن القضية المتعلقة بي هي جنحة نشر وليس جناية ولا يستلزم رفع الحصانة او الاستبعاد من الترشيح، ولكن رغم ذلك تسعى جهات لخلط الأوراق وتسريب وثائق لتشتيت الجمهور والإساءة لي، والقانون سيكون الفيصل بيننا.
— النائب عالية نصيف (@ALYANSAIFJASIM) July 7, 2025
The General Secretariat emphasized that immunity can only be lifted in cases involving felony charges and only after a formal request is submitted by the Supreme Judicial Council to Parliament. Additionally, the legal threshold for affecting parliamentary membership requires a custodial sentence that extends through the remainder of the legislative term.
