Iraq court voids law granting officials’ relatives diplomatic passports

Iraq court voids law granting diplomatic passports to officials relatives — A diplomatic passport of Idris Nechirvan Barzani, who holds no official government position. He is the son of Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani, 2024. Photo: Leaked document received by iKurd.net

BAGHDAD,— Iraq’s top court invalidated a controversial law Wednesday that granted permanent diplomatic passports to relatives of senior political leaders, ruling the measure unconstitutional.

The Federal Supreme Court said the amendment violated multiple provisions of the Iraqi Constitution, including Articles 14, 16, 47 and 80. The decision was announced following a hearing in Baghdad, according to an official court statement.

The case centered on Law No. 6 of 2025, the first amendment to the 2015 Passport Law. The amendment authorized the automatic issuance of diplomatic passports to relatives of top officeholders in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Under the disputed article, family members of the President of Iraq, the President of the Kurdistan Region, cabinet ministers, lawmakers, advisers and senior diplomatic officials could retain their diplomatic passports permanently, even after those officials left office.

The ruling came after two separate lawsuits were filed challenging the measure. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Interior, both acting in their official capacities, petitioned the court, arguing the law was inconsistent with the constitution. The court merged the two cases into a single review before issuing its judgment.

An Iraqi diplomatic passport. Photo: Creative Commons/Pinterest

Judge Munther Ibrahim Hussein presided over the session, which was attended by all sitting judges. The ruling was issued unanimously and made public on August 20, 2025.

The decision effectively cancels the law and prevents relatives of political leaders in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region from automatically receiving and keeping diplomatic passports.

Critics had said the amendment offered privileges that went beyond constitutional limits and extended diplomatic benefits to individuals who had no official state role.

Diplomatic passports in Iraq are typically reserved for those holding office or conducting official state business abroad. The court’s ruling returns the legal framework to the earlier passport law passed in 2015.

Thousands of diplomatic passports have already been issued in Iraq to individuals who are neither members of the diplomatic service nor employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Separately, in July 2025, a legislative proposal was introduced in Parliament that would restrict dual citizens from serving in senior government and security posts.

The draft amendment to the nationality law remains under review, parliamentary documents show.