Top Iraqi Court Suspends Key Laws Affecting Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has temporarily suspended three critical laws related to general amnesty, personal status, and the return of land confiscated under the Baath regime, Rudaw reported. This decision follows amendments passed by the legislature late last month, which aimed to address longstanding disputes among Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni lawmakers.

The suspended laws included provisions for returning properties to original Kurdish and Turkmen owners and amending the 2016 general amnesty law to redefine affiliations with terrorist organizations, a significant demand from the Sunni community. The personal status law amendment, introduced by independent lawmaker Raed al-Maliki, would allow religious laws to govern marriage, divorce, and inheritance, but has faced backlash from over 130 lawmakers who fear it could undermine women’s rights.

The court’s ruling reportedly stemmed from a complaint filed by a Shiite lawmaker, though the precise reasons for the suspension remain unclear.