Ex-Iraqi lawmaker Al-Sayadi expected to be released

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Former Iraqi lawmaker Kazim Al-Sayadi is expected to be released on Sunday or Monday, after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi withdrew a complaint against him, an informed source told Shafaq News.

His release is pending the completion of legal procedures linked to the withdrawal, the source said.

Al-Sayadi, a member of the State of Law Coalition led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, was arrested on Aug. 17 under a judicial warrant. Iraqi outlets have reported that his detention stemmed from remarks he made on a television program, which al-Zaidi treated as defamation and an insult to state authorities, and that a court sentenced him to six months. Shafaq News could not independently confirm that account.

Days before his arrest, social media posts claimed Al-Sayadi was among those targeted by the government's nationwide anti-corruption campaign. He denied the claims at the time, telling Shafaq News they were “completely unfounded.”

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