Nine Judges Resign Ahead of Iraq's Federal Court Decision on Kurdistan Budget Dispute
The resignations come just hours before the court was expected to convene to issue a long-awaited ruling on the financial entitlements and salaries of public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region—an issue that has been at the center of a prolonged dispute between Erbil and Baghdad.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Six permanent and three reserve members of Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court have submitted their resignations, Kurdistan24’s Baghdad correspondent Shvan Jabari reported on Thursday, citing informed sources.
The resignations come just hours before the court was expected to convene to issue a long-awaited ruling on the financial entitlements and salaries of public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region—an issue that has been at the center of a prolonged dispute between Erbil and Baghdad.
On Wednesday, a Federal Court source told Kurdistan24 that the court’s president had instructed all members to be present at Thursday’s session to deliberate on the legality of withholding salary payments and financial dues to Kurdistan Region employees.
This development follows renewed appeals from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). On the same day (Wednesday), during the opening session of the KRG Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the importance of resolving the salary crisis, revealing that the KRG had formally submitted a letter to the Federal Court.
The letter challenged the legality and constitutionality of the Iraqi Federal Ministry of Finance's decision to cut salaries and financial allocations to Kurdistan Region employees, a move Erbil considers unjust and politically motivated.
Prime Minister Barzani expressed hope that the Federal Supreme Court would deliver a fair ruling, one that aligns with the constitutional rights of the Kurdistani people. He emphasized that the KRG has fully complied with its constitutional obligations and called on Baghdad to respect the region’s financial rights.
“We hope the Federal Court will respond to our letter with a just and lawful ruling that benefits the people of Kurdistan,” Barzani said. “The Kurdistan Regional Government remains committed to resolving this issue and to defending the constitutional rights of its citizens.”
The dispute over public finances has strained relations between Baghdad and Erbil for years, with the latest crisis severely impacting the livelihoods of thousands of Kurdish civil servants and generating widespread public frustration across the region.
