Iraq’s top judicial body orders electricity theft treated as theft of public funds

BAGHDAD — The Supreme Judicial Council directed investigative courts Sunday to take strict measures against electricity violations, classifying illegal connections as “theft of public funds” punishable under the Penal Code, and warned that attacks on enforcement teams would draw deterrent penalties.

In a statement after its sixth session, the council said it had discussed a letter from the Electricity Ministry on illegal connections and that such violations fall under Article 444/11 of the Penal Code, which covers theft and misappropriation of state property and provides up to seven years’ imprisonment in severe cases. It added that attacks on ministry teams tasked with removing illegal connections constitute crimes under Articles 229 and 230, which criminalize insulting, threatening and assaulting state officials and carry up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine.

The step comes as Iraq enters the summer peak, when demand has been estimated to exceed 50,000 MW against generation of about 22,000 MW. The gap causes long and frequent outages, especially in the south. Power cuts have repeatedly triggered protests in Basra governorate, including in Zubair, al-Madina and Shuaiba, where residents have demanded better supply.