Hoshyar Zebari, sacked for corruption, backs Iraq's anti-graft sweep

ERBIL,— Hoshyar Zebari, the former Iraqi finance minister who was sacked from office over corruption allegations, voiced support on Sunday for a new anti-corruption campaign launched by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

Zebari, a senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by the Barzani family, lost his finance post in 2016 after Iraq’s parliament voted 158-77 to withdraw confidence in him.

The vote followed accusations that Zebari had misused public funds, claims he has denied. In December 2016, Iraq’s federal court rejected his appeal against the removal.

The crackdown that drew Zebari’s praise began early Sunday, when Iraqi security forces detained more than 47 politicians and senior officials, a government spokesperson said.

Among those arrested was Member of Parliament Ziyad al-Janabi, who was picked up in Erbil before authorities in the Kurdistan Region handed him over to the federal government.

In a post on the social media platform X on Sunday, Zebari said the Kurdistan Region had long served as a refuge for Iraqis fleeing persecution and human rights abuses, calling it “a sanctuary for all the free people of Iraq.”

Zebari, who is Massoud Barzani’s uncle, added that the region would never become a haven for criminals, thieves of public funds or the corrupt, and said it would not shelter suspects targeted by the new sweep.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by tribal leader Massoud Barzani, the same party in which Zebari holds a senior role, issued its own statement late Sunday backing al-Zaidi’s campaign.

The party said it welcomed the measures taken by the prime minister and the judiciary and hoped the effort would expand from Baghdad to all Iraqi provinces and cities.

Iraqi Kurdistan is widely regarded as one of the most corruption-plagued parts of the country. Watchdog groups, lawmakers and leaked documents have pointed to billions of dollars missing from the region’s oil revenue.

The Barzani family, often called “Kurdish oligarchs” by critics, has faced repeated accusations of nepotism and of using oil wealth to enrich relatives rather than the public.

Masrour Barzani, son of Massoud Barzani, is the Kurdistan region’s prime minister, while Nechirvan Barzani, Massoud’s nephew, holds the presidency. Analysts say Massoud Barzani remains the most powerful figure behind the scenes.

U.S. reports have alleged that Barzani family members laundered money through the United States, citing more than $100 million invested in shell companies under different names.

In an April 2026 report, the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to seize a Beverly Hills mansion linked to Mansour Barzani, a Kurdish military general and brother of the Kurdistan Region’s prime minister.

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported that prosecutors allege he used $30 million in corrupt proceeds from U.S. military contracts to buy and renovate the property.

So far, no one has been convicted of corruption in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Zebari himself.

Also in 2022, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that former Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was ineligible to run for president, citing corruption allegations against him.

(With files from Agencies)