The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq reiterated its call to candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections to "adhere to the ethics of democratic competition."
In a statement issued today, Thursday, October 30, 2025, the Council also urged candidates to "refrain from insulting, defaming, or attacking their rivals through the media or social media platforms."
The Council emphasized that electoral competition must "remain within the bounds of the law" and "be expressed through the presentation of electoral programs and visions that contribute to raising awareness and encouraging active public participation in exercising the constitutional right to choose those whom citizens deem most suitable to represent them in the Council of Representatives."
The Metro Center in Sulaimaniyah announced yesterday that it had recorded more than 1,100 legal violations across all governorates of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq during the first three weeks of the Iraqi parliamentary election campaign.
Prior to this, a preliminary monitoring report issued by the Alliance of National Networks and Organizations for Election Monitoring in Iraq on October 17, 2025, revealed an alarming escalation in electoral violations and hate speech accompanying campaign activities. The report warned of the transformation of democratic competition into an open power struggle in which public funds and physical violence are used, and state institutions are exploited to serve specific political factions.
The Supreme Judicial Council warned that it would take legal action against anyone found to have committed violations or abuses that harm the reputation of others or disrupt public order during the electoral process.
The Iraqi judiciary advises candidates: Avoid defamation and attacks on rivals.
