Former Iraqi defense minister Najah al-Shammari arrested in Sweden over suspected fraud

Iraq's former defence minister Najah al-Shammari, who holds both Iraqi and Swedish citizenship, was detained by Swedish authorities on Tuesday, allegedly for unlawfully receiving social benefits in the Scandinavian nation.

According to prosecutor Jens Nilsson, Najah al-Shammari had been sought for nearly eighteen months. The prosecutor revealed to Swedish broadcaster SVT that al-Shammari was detained at Stockholm's airport upon his arrival in Sweden.

Previous reports from Swedish media indicated that al-Shammari had been claiming child and housing support for an extended period despite residing in Baghdad.

In 2019, Swedish news agency TT disclosed that al-Shammari was officially registered as a resident of a Stockholm suburb.
Reports from the Swedish newspaper Expressen suggested that he relocated to Sweden in 2011, obtained citizenship in 2015, and, along with his spouse, was flagged to authorities for suspected benefit fraud. Allegedly, he persisted in claiming social payments even after returning to Iraq.

Born in Baghdad in 1967, Najah al-Shammari is an Iraqi politician and former military officer who served as the Minister of Defense from June 2019 to May 2020. 

The New Arab contacted Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesperson of Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but he was not immediately available to comment on the matter. 

"The Iraqi minister", a controversial account on the X Platform with thousands of followers, has alleged that al-Shammari has also received a salary from the Swedish government for being "psychologically ill or suffering from mental issues".  

Al-Shammari, a Sunni Arab and member of the influential Shammar tribe, graduated from the Iraqi Military Academy in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in military science. He furthered his education with a master's degree in strategic planning for national security.

He held various military positions throughout his career, including serving as an Iraqi Special Operations Forces commander from 2003 to 2007. Al-Shammari retired in 2018 with the rank of major general.

Al-Shammari was appointed Minister of Defense by the Iraqi parliament on 24 June 2019, as part of Adil Abdul-Mahdi's cabinet. His nomination came from the al-Wataniya coalition, led by former prime minister and then vice president of Iraq Ayad Allawi. 

In 2019, Swedish media hinted at an investigation into al-Shammari for suspected crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in ordering Iraq's security forces to fatally shoot hundreds of innocent protesters during the widespread demonstrations that began on October 1, 2019. 

The protests, which swept across Iraq's major cities such as Baghdad, Basra, and Nasiriyah, were fueled by grievances over government corruption, Iranian influence, and the presence of affiliated political factions and militias.

 Led primarily by the younger generation, demonstrators occupied public spaces like Baghdad's Tahrir Square for months, demanding an end to corruption, improved services, and job opportunities under the administration of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. 

Abdul-Mahdi eventually resigned and was replaced by Mustafa al-Kadhimi amid the ongoing unrest. However, the response from Iraqi security forces and militias was brutal, resulting in the deaths of over 800 protesters and leaving numerous others injured.