Iraq orders action against analyst over claims of “Iranian militia” takeover

Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated on Sep. 19, at 13:46)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani instructed the National Security Service to take legal measures against political analyst Salam Adel over televised remarks deemed harmful to national security, a senior security source told Shafaq News on Thursday.

The source clarified that the directive was issued in response to statements that “undermine stability and public order,” confirming that Adel holds no official position in the Prime Minister’s Office and is not affiliated with any government institution.

“The government would act firmly against any attempt to incite disorder through irresponsible public commentary," he added.

Adel, who has presented himself as an adviser to the Prime Minister, recently appeared on a television program claiming that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with Shiite armed factions, were “ready to take control of 11 Iraqi provinces at any moment if there were any plot to topple the political system or create chaos in the country.”

Adel later appeared in another television interview, dismissing the legal proceedings against him in a manner that fueled further public outrage. The Al-Nakhil Center for Rights and Press Freedoms strongly condemned his remarks, saying he had shown disregard for popular anger and the authority of the law. In a statement, the center warned that such “irresponsible practices contribute to justifying restrictions on freedoms and harm the right to free expression guaranteed by law and the constitution, while undermining respect for the rule of law and the authority of the state.”

Al-Sudani has previously pursued legal action against journalists and commentators. Earlier this week, he filed a lawsuit against political analyst Nizar Haider.

In 2023, he filed a complaint against Iraqi journalist Zeinab Rabee, who had criticized the government on social media. That same year, a Baghdad court sentenced political analyst Mohammed Nanaah to prison on defamation charges under Article 433 following a lawsuit filed by the Prime Minister.

In 2024, Kuwaiti journalist Fajer Al-Saeed said al-Sudani had also lodged a case against her over opinions she expressed publicly.