Al-Zaidi expands Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign to political elite
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi plans to broaden the government’s “Dawn Crackdown” (Sawlat Al-Fajr) after returning from his official visit to the United States on Friday, with the next phase expected to target influential political figures accused of corruption for the first time, informed government sources told Shafaq News.
Al-Zaidi has secured backing from the judiciary, influential political forces, and prominent public figures, strengthening the government’s ability to move ahead, one of the sources said, adding that the prime minister had rejected attempts to shield the “big heads” implicated in graft, insisting that every suspect face justice.
Prosecutors, another source revealed, are preparing tougher measures against senior suspects as part of a broader effort to reinforce the rule of law, prosecute corruption, and recover public funds.
Read more: Iraq’s Dawn Crackdown by numbers: 67 arrests explained
Launched on June 28 under Al-Zaidi's direction, the campaign resulted in at least 47 arrests during its first 24 hours, according to official figures. Sources within the Federal Commission of Integrity later told Shafaq News the number had risen to 67 and is expected to surpass 200 in the coming weeks.
Since then, security forces and integrity investigators have raided the homes of lawmakers, politicians, and business figures in Baghdad and other provinces over allegations of illicit enrichment and misuse of public funds. Early operations focused on networks linked to border crossings, customs, the energy sector, and tax administration, leading to the seizure and freezing of assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars that were later returned to the state treasury.
A government source told Shafaq News earlier that those detained remain under questioning under strict confidentiality measures, with visits and outside communication suspended to safeguard the investigations. Judicial preparations had been completed for cases involving the health, oil, and electricity ministries, as well as funds, properties, and investment projects linked to officials in the United States, Europe, and Turkiye.
Read more: Can Iraq recover billions in stolen assets abroad?
