Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Al-Karkh Court of First Instance in Baghdad issued a major judicial ruling on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, sentencing former Member of Parliament Jamal Al-Karbouli to one year in prison. The court also ordered Al-Karbouli to return $4.5 million to the President of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in his official capacity.

The verdict follows a legal determination that Al-Karbouli had illicitly seized the funds during his past tenure as the Vice President of the society, misappropriating a sovereign financial grant provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that was explicitly earmarked for the construction of a specialized Saudi hospital in Baghdad.

This high-profile sentencing marks another significant development in an intensified anti-corruption campaign driving a wave of legal actions across Iraq’s legislative and public sectors.

The sentencing of the former lawmaker caps off an exceptionally active two-week window for Iraq’s oversight bodies and the judiciary, which have repeatedly moved against high-ranking political figures:

• May 31, 2026 | Immunity Request for MP Mohammad Nasir Al-Karbouli: The Supreme Judicial Council, represented by the Karkh Court of Appeals, formally requested Parliament to strip the immunity of Azm Coalition MP Mohammad Nasir Al-Karbouli. The lawmaker is currently the focus of an active judicial investigation regarding a documented $50,000 bribery case.
• June 7, 2026 | Immunity Request for MP Hasanain Al-Khafaji: The Karkh Court of Appeals dispatched a formal request to the Council of Representatives to lift the parliamentary immunity of MP Hasanain Al-Khafaji, a recent defector from the Reconstruction and Development Coalition. Court documents revealed Al-Khafaji allegedly extorted the developer of the “Hawra Baghdad Residential Project,” demanding a massive 40% equity stake in the housing development alongside a liquid cash payment of $500,000 to secure unauthorized public clearances.
• June 7, 2026 | Federal Integrity Commission Clarification: The Federal Integrity Commission issued a formal brief confirming the criminal extortion case before the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court against a sitting MP (later identified as Al-Khafaji). The commission detailed how the lawmaker used an intermediary in his private office to solicit bribes and project shares by falsely claiming deep institutional leverage over sovereign regulatory bodies.