Iraqi writer rejects claim government is negotiating with corruption suspects

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Writer Ali Falih al-Zuhairi has rejected claims that the Iraqi government is planning to negotiate lighter sentences with corruption suspects in exchange for the return of stolen funds. In an opinion piece, al-Zuhairi said such a deal would normalize corruption rather than protect the public, noting that an ordinary thief is not freed simply for returning stolen property. The writer compared the reported approach to the deal made during the administration of the Sulaymaniyah-based government — known as the "deal of the century" — under which Nur al-Zuhayr was released. He said al-Zuhayr's fate afterward remains unknown, and warned that bargaining over stolen money would effectively make the government a partner in the corruption. Al-Zuhairi said recent government operations against corruption suspects are the correct course and argued that those accused should be pursued individually. He stressed that any suspect, even if funds are recovered, will remain a criminal in the eyes of society and the law.