Middle East
Iraqi MP files ‘terrorism’ case against Syria’s Ahmed al-Shara

An Iraqi member of parliament has filed a complaint against Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, citing his “terrorism” history.
According to Shafaq News, Iraqi MP Alaa al-Haidari filed a complaint with the Iraqi Public Prosecution against the new Syrian President, Ahmed al-Shara (al-Jolani).
Speaking in front of the High Judicial Council building, Haidari stated, “I have filed a complaint against Ahmed al-Shara, known as al-Jolani, who was part of ISIS organizations in Iraq.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had officially invited Ahmed al-Shara to the Arab League Summit to be held in Baghdad on May 17. This invitation was met with reactions in the country, particularly among Shia politicians.
More than 50 MPs had also formally requested the Speaker of Parliament to prevent al-Shara’s entry into the country. The MPs stated that Iraq “should not host a person who was involved in an armed insurgency in the past, especially at a high-level diplomatic meeting.”
Sources speaking to Shafaq News said that an arrest warrant was issued for al-Shara by the Iraqi judiciary in late 2024.
Al-Shara, one of the thousands of foreign fighters who entered Iraq from Syria after the 2003 US invasion, was captured by US forces in 2005 after Shia Muslims were targeted by sectarian attacks by al-Qaeda and remained in prison until 2011. It was there that he met Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who would later become the leader of ISIS.
After returning to his country, al-Shara founded the Nusra Front, the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, in 2012. In 2016, he separated from al-Qaeda to gain Western support and transformed his organization into HTS. HTS, which was thought to be cornered in Idlib, overthrew the Bashar al-Assad administration last December.
Sources speaking to Shafaq News said: “Al-Shara was arrested by the Americans in Iraq as an al-Qaeda member between 2007 and 2008. However, he was later released by the Americans again. During this process, there was no intervention by Iraqi authorities or a court decision against him.”
“However, years later, after some detainees confessed to various terrorism charges against al-Jolani, an arrest warrant was issued against him without a court decision.”