US lawmaker criticizes Iraqi judiciary chief over remarks to armed factions
Shafaq News – Baghdad / Washington
US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson criticized Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan on Sunday over his public remarks thanking armed factions for expressing readiness to disarm, describing the move as outside the constitutional role of the judiciary.
In a post on X, Wilson said that Zidan’s comments do “not reflect the conduct of a state institution nor that of a neutral judiciary,” arguing that they instead indicate “a communication channel and an ongoing relationship between the judiciary leadership and militia factions.”
Wilson added that an independent judiciary “does not thank armed groups for following its advice nor assess their political or military actions,” stressing that such conduct is “completely outside its constitutional role.”
He said the rhetoric confirms that the issue is not about upholding the rule of law, but rather about overlapping roles and attempts to send political messages under judicial cover, warning that this behavior represents one of the most serious threats facing justice and the state.
Today, the corrupt president of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council publicly thanked armed factions for their stated intention to disarm.This language does not reflect the conduct of a state institution nor that of a neutral judiciary. Instead, it clearly shows a communication…
— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) December 20, 2025
Zidan had announced on Saturday that armed factions had responded to calls to confine weapons to the state, later issuing a statement thanking faction leaders for what he described as their cooperation in enforcing the rule of law, limiting arms to state institutions, and transitioning to political activity.
Over the past 24 hours, several Iraqi armed factions issued statements supporting the principle of restricting weapons to the state, including leaders of Kataib al-Imam Ali and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, as well as Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and the spokesperson for Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. However, Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) rejected disarmament, saying the issue is contingent on safeguarding Iraqi sovereignty and ending foreign interference, while a senior figure in Harakat al-Nujaba reaffirmed continued resistance against US forces.
The United States has, in recent months, increased pressure on the Iraqi government to curb the role of armed factions, bring weapons under state control, and prevent faction-linked groups from participating in the formation of the next government.
Read more: Diverging views emerge on disarming Armed Factions in the Middle East
