Iraqi Politician files complaint against diplomat for not exiting during Netanyahu's UN speech

Shafaq News/ Nassar al-Rubaie, head of the Sadrist bloc, has filed a legal complaint against an Iraqi diplomat for not leaving the United Nations General Assembly during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech.

Al-Rubaie submitted the complaint against Samar Bashir al-Qaisi, a representative of Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the country's delegation to the UN.

The document, which Shafaq News obtained a copy of, accuses al-Qaisi of :failing to exit the assembly hall during Netanyahu's speech on September 27, 2024, when numerous Arab and Islamic delegations staged a walkout in protest.:

According to the complaint, "Iraqi law criminalizes any form of recognition of the Zionist entity, under Law No. 1 of 2022, which prohibits normalization with Israel." The complaint further noted that it is customary for Iraqi and many other Arab and Islamic nations to walk out during speeches given by Israeli officials.

"The failure to leave constituted a public insult to the Iraqi people, the Arab and Islamic nations, especially as Israel continues to commit heinous crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide against our people in Gaza, Lebanon, and other Arab and Islamic regions," it said.

Al-Rubaie argued that al-Qaisi's actions violated Article 7 of the 2022 anti-normalization law and articles 201, 202, and 203 of Iraq’s Penal Code No. 111 of 1969. The Sadrist leader urged the court to take legal action against the diplomat and any others found complicit.

A source from the Sadrist political movement, who spoke to Shafaq News on condition of anonymity, revealed that al-Rubaie filed the complaint "under direct orders from the movement's leader, Muqtada al-Sadr."

Iraq does not recognize Israel. Iraqi law, particularly the 2022 Anti-Normalization Law, criminalizes any form of political, economic, or cultural interaction with Israel. This law imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment and even the death penalty for individuals or entities found engaging with Israel.

The law, proposed by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is titled “Criminalising Normalisation and Establishment of Relations with the Zionist Entity”, and was approved with 275 lawmakers out of 329.