Skip to main content

Iraqi ex-defense minister arrested in Sweden for suspected benefits fraud

1 min Mena Today

Former Iraqi defense minister Najah Al-Shammari was briefly arrested after arriving in Sweden, where he is suspected of benefits fraud, the prosecutor investigating the case said Tuesday.

Najah Al-Shammari © X

Najah Al-Shammari © X

Former Iraqi defense minister Najah Al-Shammari was briefly arrested after arriving in Sweden, where he is suspected of benefits fraud, the prosecutor investigating the case said Tuesday.

In 2019, Swedish media reported that the former minister was under investigation for claiming housing and child benefits from Sweden despite living and working in Iraq.

At the time newspaper Expressen reported that Shammari arrived in Sweden in 2009 and was granted permanent residency in 2011 before getting Swedish citizenship in 2015.

In late November 2019, Swedish prosecutors also said that an Iraqi government minister — which media identified as Shammari — was being investigated for “crimes against humanity,” but that investigation was later closed.

Related

Syria

Moscow says new Syria deal strengthens strategic partnership

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that a deal reached with Syria on the future of Moscow's military bases in the country would boost ties between the nations, and a Syrian source said some Russian forces would still be stationed there under the agreement.    

Iran

Trump gives Iran stark choice: Economic ruin or military force

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of being "devious negotiators" in an interview released late on Monday and described some of his current options in the war — "just bop along" and let Tehran fail economically or hit them "really, really hard."

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.