Patriarch Sako Condemns Attempts to Manipulate Christian Votes Ahead of Iraq’s 2025 Elections
The Chaldean leader decried interference by armed groups seeking to control Christian representation, urging free and fair elections that reflect the community’s true will.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has voiced strong concerns over attempts by armed groups and individuals to manipulate Christian votes and control their representation in Iraq’s upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections, describing such actions as “unacceptable interference” in the community’s affairs.
He reaffirmed the Church’s rejection of any efforts to exploit or marginalize Christians, calling instead for free and fair representation that truly reflects the will of the community.
In a statement released Thursday, Patriarch Sako urged all Iraqis—particularly Christians—to actively participate in the elections and to vote for candidates who demonstrate integrity, honesty, and competence in serving the nation.
He emphasized that elections are a national duty and an opportunity to advance Iraq’s stability and progress, stressing the importance of choosing leaders who respect the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.
Sako revealed that the Chaldean Church had formally requested Iraqi authorities to ensure proper representation for Christians by reserving electoral seats in accordance with constitutional principles.
He expressed disappointment that these appeals have not yet been addressed, despite repeated calls to safeguard minority rights and prevent manipulation of quota seats by non-Christian political entities.
Reiterating the resilience of Iraq’s Christian community, Patriarch Sako stressed that Christians will continue their struggle to secure constitutional rights and a better future in their homeland.
“The Chaldean Church will not surrender to injustice,” he declared, reaffirming its loyalty to Iraq and commitment to peaceful coexistence among all Iraqis.
Patriarch Sako’s reference to “armed groups” seeking to dominate Christian representation is widely understood to point toward Rayan al-Kildani, a Christian Iraqi politician who leads the Babylon Movement and its militia wing, the Babylon Brigade.
Although the group claims to represent Iraq’s Christian community, it has long been affiliated with the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a Shiite paramilitary network wielding considerable political and military power in Baghdad.
Al-Kildani, who gained prominence in 2014 during the war against ISIS, later faced accusations of human rights abuses—including looting, intimidation, and violence against civilians in Christian towns such as Bartella.
In 2019, the United States sanctioned him under the Global Magnitsky Act, citing corruption, human rights violations, and close ties to the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
The Chaldean Church and other Christian leaders have repeatedly criticized al-Kildani and the Babylon Movement for exploiting Christian quota seats to advance the interests of Iran-aligned militias rather than representing the true voice of Iraq’s Christian population.
Patriarch Sako’s latest remarks thus underscore a broader struggle to reclaim independent Christian political representation, free from external influence, as Iraq heads toward its November 11, 2025, parliamentary elections—a crucial test for the integrity of the country’s democracy and the rights of its minority communities.
