PMF arrests man accused of defacing image of slain leaders

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said Sunday its security units arrested a man accused of tearing an image of figures referred to by supporters as the “leaders of victory,” a title used for slain Shia militia leaders.

In a statement, the PMF said, “The Directorate General of Security and Discipline, Directorate of Investigations and Preventive Security, managed to arrest one person after he was caught red-handed tearing an image of the leaders of victory.”

The suspect was referred to judicial authorities “to take legal measures,” the statement said, stressing that “such individual behaviors do not reflect the general conduct of citizens.”

The PMF added it rejects “any practices that may cause offense, stir discord, or tamper with public order,” urging citizens to abide by laws and contribute to social peace.

The phrase “leaders of victory” is commonly used by Shia factions for Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the PMF, both killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3, 2020. Soleimani and al-Muhandis are revered by supporters as central figures in the fight against ISIS and in the regional “Axis of Resistance.”

Portraits of Soleimani, al-Muhandis, and Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah—who was assassinated by Israel in 2024—have been repeatedly defaced or removed in Iraq over the past year, sparking protests and official denials from local authorities.