Iraqi judiciary to investigate Maliki-attributed recordings

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council announced on Tuesday that a request has been made to investigate the leaked audio recordings allegedly of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insulting Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), stirring a wave of controversy amid political impasse. 

The statement from the council stated that a request has been raised to the Karkh Investigative Court to take legal measures regarding the leaks, adding that fundamental investigation into the authenticity of the audios are being conducted.

A series of audio recordings attributed to Maliki were leaked in recent days, spewing a number of controversial statements, including calling Sadr a “murderer” and the PMF “cowards” while accusing them of being armed by Iran.

The latest episode of the leaks was published in the early hours of Tuesday, in which the voice, suspected to be Maliki, is speaking to a number of men that appear to be members of a militia group.

The men are promising to support and arm Maliki and hand him the government.

Maliki has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying they were “fabricated” and attempting to incite “sedition”.

Sadr on Monday requested all bloc leaders allied with Maliki to denounce the statements made in the audio recordings, while also “absolving” himself of any use of violence that might be carried out against his longtime political rival.

The leaked recordings put Iraq in an even more precarious position, as the country has failed to form a government nine months after the October election, from which Sadr emerged with the highest number of parliamentary seats.

The Sadrist Movement abandoned its attempts at forming a national majority government and collectively resigned from the parliament in June, giving rivals Coordination Framework, a pro-Iran Shiite parliamentary faction, an opportunity to fulfill their quest for a government based on political consensus and form a cabinet without him.

In one of the recordings, the voice alleged to be Maliki is heard saying “the next phase is battle.”