Iraq’s Sadrist Bloc Proposes Death for “relations of any kind” with “Zionist Entity”

On May 11, 2022, the Sadrist bloc introduced a bill titled the “Law Forbidding Normalization and Establishing Relations with the Zionist Entity” for consideration and passage by the Iraqi House of Representatives. The head of the Sadrist bloc, Hassan al-Adari, had previously announced that the bill would be presented in the parliament’s first session.

By way of context, Article 201 of Iraq’s penal code already prescribes “death” for “any person who promotes or acclaims Zionist principles including freemasonry, or who associates himself with Zionist organizations, or assists them by giving material or moral support, or works in any way towards the realization of Zionist objectives.” The new bill intensifies the existing law. It bans any and all human contact with Israeli citizens, including media and social media exchanges. It asserts jurisdiction over all Iraqis, whether inside or outside the country, as well as foreign investors and companies doing business with Iraq. It calls for the confiscation of property and assets belonging to Iraqis in violation. It also explicitly asserts that the death penalty is binding on the President of Iraq, the Speaker of the House, his deputies, any minister or member of parliament, and any deputy minister.

The following is an abridged translation of the bill.

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Law Forbidding Normalization and Establishing Relations with the Zionist Entity

Article 1 - This law aims to achieve the following:

• “Normalization with the occupying, Zionist entity usurping Palestinian lands in any form whatsoever is hereby declared unlawful.”

• “The establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural, or any relations of any other kind with the occupying Zionist entity are hereby forbidden.”  

Article 2 - The provisions of this law apply to the following:

1. Iraqis both inside and outside of Iraq, including officials, state employes, those charged with public service whether civilian or military, and foreign residents of Iraq;

2. All state institutions, federal authorities, and independent bodies;

3. Regional governments, parliamentary councils, bureaus, and institutions;

4. Governors, unregulated provincial councils in local and regional administrations as well as their related bureaus;

5. Iraqi Media outlets;

6. Social media outlets;

7. Iraqi civil society organizations and institutions;

8. Private companies, foreign companies, foreign investors working in Iraq.

Penal Code:

Article 3:  

Normalization and the establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural, or any relations of any other kind with the occupying Zionist entity are hereby forbidden. 

Article 4: 

The terms “normalization” and “establishing relations” as used in Article 3 of this law encompass any of the following actions:

1. Traveling to or from the territory of the occupying Zionist entity. Also prohibited are visiting its embassies and institutions in any country, anywhere in the world.

2. Informing for and communicating with — via any means — the occupying Zionist entity and those affiliated with it or who represent it, whether as an individual or an institution or organization, under any banner, be it cultural, political, academic, commercial, economic, media, security-related or anything else. 

3. Establishing relations with the occupying Zionist entity, diplomatic, or economic, or political, or military, or cultural, or any other kind of relations.

4. Normalization with the occupying Zionist entity or promoting it or any of its ideas, principles, ideologies, or Zionist or Israeli behaviors, by any means whatever, whether secret or covertly. Th[ese means] include conferences, gatherings, compositions, merchandise, social media outlets, the virtual world, participating in conferences, activities implemented or sponsored by Zionist or other institutions which promote normalization with it [i.e. Israel] or establishing relations with it.

5. Belonging to any of the occupying Zionist entity’s institutions, or morally or materially aiding them.

6. Doing anything which achieves Zionist aims.

7. Accepting any type of aide, donation, or gift from the Zionist entity, its institutions, or institutions promoting it or normalization with it.

8. Offering any kind of aid or donations, for any reason, connected to the Zionist entity or its institutions or institutions promoting it and normalization with it.

Article 5: 

1. Undertaking any of the actions forbidden in article 4 of this law is a crime punishable by execution or life in prison.

2. The accusation of high treason shall be levied, and the punishment shall be execution, if any of the crimes described in Article 4 of this law are committed by the President of the Republic or his deputies, or by the Speaker of the House of Representatives or his deputies, or by the Head of the Cabinet or his deputies, or by a member of the House of Representatives or a Minister or someone of their station, or a Deputy Minister or someone of his station, or a General Manager or someone of his station.

Article 6: 

1. Private companies, institutions, civil society organizations working in Iraq, if they are found to have committed any of the actions described in Article 4 of this law, will be dissolved without breaching the partial responsibility, established in accordance with this law, of the individuals working within [said organization]. That organization will be forbidden to reestablish itself or renew its operations in Iraq. 

2. Foreign companies and investors working in Iraq shall be expelled if they are found to have committed any of the actions described in Article 4 of this law, without breaching the partial responsibility, established in accordance with this law, of the individuals working for them. They shall also be forbidden from working again in Iraq again. 

3. In addition to the punishments established in accord with this law's provisions, both fixed and movable property, belonging to any institutions, civil society organizations, foreign companies, or foreign investors highlighted in clauses 1 and 2 of this article, shall be expropriated. 

Article 7:

1. The court shall mandate the expropriation of written publications and compositions that promote normalization with the occupying Zionist entity or establishing relations with it.

Article 8:

Anyone who commits any of the crimes described in Article 4 of this law may not benefit from the “mitigating circumstances” which appear in Number 111 of the amended penal code of 1969, or any other law acting in its stead.  

Concluding Provisions

Article 9:

Any text contravening the provisions of this law shall be rendered invalid.

Article 10:

This law will be operative from the date that the House of Representatives passes it and publishes it in the official record. 

The reasons enjoining [passage of this law]:

In order to preserve national, Islamic, and human principles in Iraq, and in view of the grave danger that is entailed in normalization with the occupying Zionist entity or promoting it, or informing for it, or establishing any relations with it, and [the need to] impede anyone who wishes to establish any kind of relations with the occupying Zionist entity, and put in place deterrent punishments against them, and preserve the unity among the sons of the Iraqi people and its Islamic and national identity. 

Pass this law.