Iraq’s Administrative Court revokes Abadi’s decision against Hashd al-Shaabi

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Administrative Court on Monday revoked the outgoing prime minister’s decision to remove Head of the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi from his post.

In August 2018, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in decree number 286, ordered to relieve Falih Fayyadh of his duties as “national security advisor, head of the Hashd al-Shaabi Committee, and the National Security Apparatus” effective immediately.

Abadi’s decree claimed Fayyadh’s involvement in politics “conflicts with the sensitive security tasks” he undertook, adding that “as per the Iraqi Constitution, neutrality must be exercised by individuals within the security and intelligence services.”

The decree also cited that the Hashd al-Shaabi’s regulations, instructions, and the state’s directives “prohibit the exploitation of sensitive security posts in partisan activities.”

In a statement on Monday, Fayyadh’s media office announced that the Iraqi Administrative Court revoked the outgoing prime minister’s decree. It added that based on the Court ruling, Fayyadh would restore all his positions in the government.

According to the statement, the Court enforced the ruling because Abadi’s decree was unsatisfactory and lacked legal and constitutional basis.

Fayyadh is the head of the Ataa Movement political party which, with two seats won in the May 12 election, is part of Abadi’s al-Nasr Coalition that came in third place with 42 seats.

However, Fayyadh had previously expressed his preference for the Hashd al-Shaabi’s al-Fatih Coalition over Abadi’s and even showed interest in joining the Iran-backed bloc.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany