Iraq’s Foreign Ministry welcomes court ruling on diplomatic passports

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Foreign Ministry welcomed a Federal Supreme Court ruling that struck down a law granting lifetime diplomatic passports, saying it reflects the ministry’s efforts to safeguard state identity and uphold constitutional principles.

“The Foreign Ministry welcomes the decision of the Federal Supreme Court, issued on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, which ruled that Law No. 6 of 2025, the First Amendment to the Passports Law No. 23 of 2015, is unconstitutional,” the ministry said in a statement.

The court reviewed two lawsuits challenging the law, one filed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in his official capacity. The ministry described the ruling as the result of “great efforts made by the ministry, with direct support from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, supervision by Undersecretary for Legal Affairs and Multilateral Relations Shorsh Khalid Said, and close follow-up by the specialized team.”

The ministry said the outcome was “a step in consolidating the principle of the supremacy of the Constitution, protecting rights, and ensuring that legislation is consistent with its provisions, thereby strengthening the position of the state and its legal institutions.”

On Wednesday, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court struck down Law No. 6 of 2025 after finding it unconstitutional for conflicting with Articles 14, 16, 47, and 80 of the 2005 Constitution. The law, which Parliament approved in January, would have allowed lifetime diplomatic passports. The ruling prevents such documents, which in most countries are reserved for serving officials and expire once their posts end. Concerns about misuse had surfaced earlier, when the Parliamentary Integrity Committee reported in 2023 that 32,000 diplomatic passports had been issued in four years, including 10,000 to people with no ties to the diplomatic service.