ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least seven lawmakers from various political parties are among the figures detained in overnight raids carried out by Iraq's security forces in Baghdad, according to sources.
A senior source from Iraq's Integrity Commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw at least seven members of parliament are among the political figures and officials detained during the anti-graft operation.
The lawmakers belong to the Azm Alliance, former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's Reconstruction and Development Coalition, the Taqaddum Party, and at least an independent parliamentarian, the source noted.
The exact number of targeted lawmakers remains unclear, and authorities have not released any official statement regarding the raids.
Counter-terrorism forces and army units, working alongside the Integrity Commission, moved into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone overnight, temporarily shutting its gates as the raids unfolded, Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail reported from the Iraqi capital in the early hours of Sunday. The high-security zone hosts the US embassy, other diplomatic missions, and the seat of Iraq's government.
The state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) cited a senior official as saying the raids are connected to the ongoing investigation into Adnan al-Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister for refining affairs, whose arrest last month has snowballed into one of Iraq's largest corruption probes in years.
"The arrests included members of the Council of Representatives whose immunity had been lifted, as well as officials whose names were mentioned in those confessions," the source confirmed to INA.
They added that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi "will not hesitate to pursue corrupt individuals and those involved in misappropriating state funds."
The operation comes amid a broader crackdown launched by Zaidi, who took office last month and has made tackling corruption a centerpiece of his agenda.
The raids were not limited to the capital.
Yasin Dawoodi, a member of the Salahaddin Provincial Council, told Rudaw that Hind Abbasi, a lawmaker from the Azm Alliance, was arrested in the province on Sunday. He noted that security forces also raided the home of Ashwaq Salem al-Jabouri, a parliamentarian from Sudani's party, but she was not home at the time.
'Big fish'
Abd al-Rahman al-Jazairi, a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leader affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, told Rudaw that the raids to arrest the "big fish" in Iraq will continue until Zaidi visits the US in mid-July.
"Several more operations are also scheduled to take place tonight in Baghdad and other provinces," Jazairi added.
He said the operation will also target some leaders of armed groups operating outside government control.
"A number of leaders of armed groups are also set to be arrested. They must surrender themselves to the court, otherwise they will be arrested and brought before the law," he said.
Zaidi's government has intensified efforts to rein in the weapons of Iranian-aligned armed groups.
He further noted that among the prominent leaders arrested in the campaign is Muthana al-Samarrai, head of the Sunni Azm Alliance.
A source from his party confirmed to Rudaw that Samarrai has been arrested.
UN commends Iraq's anti-graft efforts
Yama Torabi, anti-corruption chief technical advisor at UNDP, told INA on Sunday that Baghdad's anti-corruption efforts have shown progress, adding that the government is moving in the right direction.
"The Iraqi government, represented by the Supreme Judicial Council and other relevant bodies, has made significant efforts in the field of combating corruption," INA cited Torabi as saying.
He explained that "the efforts had not been complete with regard to asset recovery, but this issue has recently become one of the government's priorities, in order to recover stolen funds and assets," affirming that "the government's steps have begun to show improvement, as we have noticed recently."
He also stated that "the efforts made to recover stolen funds and assets are moving in the right direction, but they are still not sufficient, and more work is still needed in this regard."
When asked whether the FBI has been involved in the raids, Mazen Gharib, a member of parliament's security and defense committee, told Rudaw's Sangar Abdulrahman, "I live in the same compound as other parliamentarians, what I saw were Iraqi forces but whether they are supporting the operations, I am not sure."
He added, "the situation in Baghdad is calm now… now only VIPs like parliamentarians, ministers and their deputies are allowed to enter the Green Zone. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter, but I think in the coming hours, that will also be resolved."
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