Baghdad bans protests during Arab Summit as criticism mounts over invitation for Syria's Al Shara

Baghdad has banned protests as it prepares to host Arab League leaders for the first time in more than a decade, warning of severe consequences for demonstrators as criticism grows over an invitation for Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara.

Rallies have been taking place across the country in recent weeks since Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani invited Mr Al Shara to the Arab Summit scheduled for Saturday.

Many demonstrators object to his history with Al Qaeda in Iraq, where he served as a senior field leader for the extremist group fighting US and Iraqi troops after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

There have also been protests against attempts by Mr Al Sudani to reinstate a maritime agreement with Kuwait that regulates navigation in a contested waterway.

“No demonstration will be allowed, regardless of the reasons, and there will be no permits,” the Iraqi Interior Ministry said late on Saturday. The ban will cover May 11 to May 20 and security troops will arrest anyone attempting to protest, the ministry added.

Critics were quick to denounce the move as an attempt to stifle dissent, with many calling for more rallies.

“This is an unconstitutional and illegal measure,” said Mustafa Emad, a Baghdad-based activist who has been calling for and taking part in protests.

“It is a form of suppressing voices, reminiscent of the Baathist era,” Mr Emad said on social media, referring to the regime of Saddam Hussein. “We will not allow the return of that era.”

Lawmaker Mustafa Sanad called on supporters to defy the ban and stage a protest in his southern hometown of Basra on Monday. If Mr Al Shara does not attend the summit then protesters would call off another rally planned for Baghdad, Mr Sanad added.

The annual meeting of the Arab League will be the first to be hosted by Iraq since 2012. It comes at a critical time for the region, as Israel's war on Gaza intensifies, and Iran and the US hold talks in an attempt to reach a deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme.

For the Iraqi government, the event is a way to underline the return of Baghdad to a central role in the Middle East after decades of war and political isolation.

But the Prime Minister faces widespread criticism for inviting Mr Al Shara, whose Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group seized power in Damascus last December in a rebel offensive that toppled former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.

Mr Al Shara was one of thousands of foreign fighters who travelled to Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, mainly through Syria. American troops arrested him in 2005 and he was released about six years later. He then returned to Syria and formed an Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group fighting against Mr Al Assad's troops. He broke ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and formed HTS.

Iraq's preparations for the Arab Summit have also been mired in criticism of the government's attempts to reinstate a maritime agreement with Kuwait to regulate navigation in the disputed Khor Abdullah waterway.

In September 2023, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court struck down the Khor Abdullah agreement following a lawsuit filed by several legislators, annulling a law that had ratified the 2012 deal. The court held the legislation was unconstitutional because it should have been passed with a two-thirds majority in parliament, not a simple majority.

Critics in Iraq consider the agreement unjust, arguing Kuwait has no right to control any part of the Khor Abdullah waterway. They say the deal is meant to delineate a maritime border rather than regulate navigation.