Sadr supporters stage sit-in outside Supreme Court
Supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who have been protesting in front of the Iraqi parliament for more than three weeks, have launched a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court.
Hundreds of Sadr supporters gathered in front of the Supreme Court outside the high-security Green Zone in Baghdad and demanded the dissolution of the parliament and fight against corruption.
Iraq has been going through a political deadlock for months. Rival Shiite forces have been at odds since October 2021 over who should become the next Prime Minister.
On the one hand is the Sadr movement, which seeks the dissolution of the parliament and general elections. On the other hand, is the Coordination Framework, which consists of pro-Iranian Shiite factions.
Tensions in Iraq escalated further in July when hundreds of pro-Sadr people started a sit-in in the parliament yard. Their rival, the Coordination Framework, also launched sit-in actions around the Green Zone.
On August 10, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on the judiciary to dissolve the parliament within a week, while the judges announced that they had no authority to do so.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi attempted to introduce a "national dialogue" last week in an attempt to overcome the political crisis. The Sadr movement, however, boycotted the national dialogue meeting.
