2026-02-15T09:15:46+00:00
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Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Parliament is reviewing the
third amendment to Law No. 20 of 2009 on Compensation of Victims of War
Operations, Military Mistakes and Terrorist Operations, amid questions from
families of victims over the delay in passing the draft.
The amendment was referred to a
temporary parliamentary committee for examination. In the meantime, the Council
of Ministers decided to suspend implementation of a clause halting pension
payments after ten years, pending completion of the legislative process.
Families of victims have called for
full approval of the amendment rather than relying on temporary measures. The
family of Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim from Diyala province told Shafaq News that
the delay was difficult to understand, describing the law as “one of the most
closely linked to tens of thousands of martyrs’ families.” They stressed that
merely suspending pension cuts is “a partial and temporary solution” that does
not address the inclusion of additional groups still awaiting entitlements.
Speaking with our agency, informed
sources affirmed that political differences have emerged between Sunni and
Shiite blocs over certain provisions, particularly proposals submitted to the
committee. They warned that passing a version that satisfies all sides could
give the amendment a financial dimension, potentially exposing it to challenge
by the Iraqi government. Some parties, the sources added, have called for
removing clauses that “touch the core of the law,” which could result in
granting rights to individuals who do not meet the legal definition of a
victim.
MP Noor Al-Atabi, a member of the
temporary committee, denied the existence of disagreements over the principle
of passing the amendment. “There is broad consensus on the need to ensure
justice for the groups covered by the law,” she told Shafaq News, explaining
that discussions have focused on preventing the suspension of pensions for
families of martyrs and addressing the clause limiting payments to ten years.
According to Al-Atabi, coordination
with the Martyrs Foundation and the National Board of Pensions, along with
several lawmakers, led to the Cabinet’s decision to suspend the pension-cut
provision and extend payments until the legislative amendment is completed. She
noted that the committee reviewed a draft prepared during the previous
parliamentary term, as well as proposals submitted by the Martyrs Foundation
and a committee formed within the Cabinet’s General Secretariat, and discussed
them in detail.
Law No. 20 covers civilians and
military personnel affected by terrorist attacks, military operations, and
military errors, including cases of death, injury, total or partial disability,
property damage, and employment or academic harm.
The proposed amendment seeks to
include deceased personnel from the Defense and Interior ministries, the
Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and all security agencies who died during or
as a result of service. It is also examining a proposal to include civilians
killed during the 1991 US bombardment, in line with existing legislation and
the principle of fairness among affected groups.
Al-Atabi emphasized that PMF members
and other security forces are already covered under the Martyrs Foundation Law
No. 2 of 2016 in terms of pension rights and privileges, and that efforts are
underway to regulate the relationship between the two laws to prevent
duplication or conflict in entitlements.
She stressed that the committee is
working to refine legal wording and close gaps revealed during implementation,
while standing “firmly against any attempt to introduce clauses that could be
broadly interpreted and allow ineligible cases to qualify.” Any amendment, she
added, “must preserve the humanitarian and national philosophy of the law and
must not be exploited in any way.”
The committee continues to hold
meetings with relevant executive bodies to reach a unified draft before
submitting it to Parliament for first reading and completing the constitutional
legislative process, she confirmed, attributing the relative delay to efforts
to produce a comprehensive and balanced amendment that safeguards victims’
rights.
