The leader of the Shiite national movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr, praised the campaign of arrests launched by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi against corruption, describing it as a "heroic reform campaign".
In a post on his official account on the “X” platform, he said, “What the Prime Minister, brother Ali Al-Zaidi, did in terms of arrests against the corrupt is a heroic reform campaign that we hope will continue. This campaign has restored hope in our hearts and the hearts of the Iraqi people, after the corrupt had taken control of its resources.”
Al-Sadr praised "the role of the Iraqi judiciary and the heroic security forces, especially the counter-terrorism and anti-corruption forces," announcing his support and encouragement for the campaign, and calling on the imams of Friday prayers to "lead a peaceful stand next Friday, in which the banners of the master of reform, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), will be raised, and in the month of reform, Muharram, and the flags of Iraq exclusively and nothing else."
On Sunday, high-ranking Iraqi sources revealed the arrest of 48 accused members of parliament and officials on corruption charges, in an operation described as the most prominent of its kind for a government that is less than two months old.
Counter-terrorism forces carried out raids inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, targeting the homes of prominent political figures, including at least 12 members of parliament, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
The list of detainees included prominent names such as the head of the Azm Alliance and member of parliament, Muthanna al-Samarrai, and MPs Ziad al-Janabi, Bahaa al-Nouri, Muhammad al-Karbouli, Alia Nassif, and others, according to a preliminary list published by the Iraqi News Agency.
The sources indicated that the arrests came based on confessions made by Oil Ministry Undersecretary Adnan al-Jumaili, who was arrested last month on corruption charges.
For his part, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi affirmed on Monday that the government is making an effort to combat corruption, explaining that "restricting weapons to the state is not just a slogan," and indicating that "September 30 will witness the complete withdrawal of coalition forces."
In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Zaydi stressed that "no corrupt individual is immune," and that the campaign is part of "a broader effort to combat corruption," which he described as "one of the most important pillars of state sovereignty." He also tasked oversight bodies with receiving any reports of corruption or negligence in the performance of ministries.
This comes at a time when political and popular circles are anticipating the continuation of the campaign, with questions about whether it will target bigger figures, especially in light of the government's confirmation that the operations are "continuing in Baghdad and the provinces."
