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

1 min

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

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.

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