In the 1990s, the capital, Baghdad, witnessed the phenomenon of imposing “protection fees” on the owners of shops, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs due to the deteriorating economic situation at that time. The “heroes” of this phenomenon were officers, security personnel, and outlaws, known locally as “wretched”.
After the demise of the previous regime, the victims of “protection rackets” rejoiced in the disappearance of the phenomenon that had actually disappeared for several years, but it came back to the forefront of the scene this time, with armed groups and wings claiming to belong to well-known political entities, along with security and military personnel, and it even affected the companies implementing Iraqi investment projects and non-Iraqi ones.
Ali Kadhim (28 years old), a pseudonym, the owner of one of the men’s barber centers in the capital, Baghdad, said during an interview with “Al Aalem Al Jadeed”: “When I opened the barber center, I completed all the legal papers from the barbers’ union certificate to practice the profession, in addition to the identity of the barbers.” Everything was done properly, until after a while I was surprised by people who came to the center and demanded three million dinars from me, otherwise the center would be closed. After many mediations, the amount was reduced by half.”
Kadhim adds, “These come in the form of armed gangs, and in most cases the matter ends in a major quarrel and the shop owner is forced to pay the amount required to preserve his life and a source of livelihood.”
He points out that “the imposition of this money by unknown parties affects everyone who does not have an intermediary or acquaintances who influence those groups,” pointing out that “this comes in addition to what the unions impose every year of a certain amount, which we pay in a formal manner.”
It is noteworthy that many owners of professions and shops in Baghdad complain from time to time of being subjected to extortion and armed robbery by armed parties, forcing them to pay sums of money monthly, indicating that if they do not pay, their fate is theft of their shops or even death.
In turn, Safaa Abbas (44 years old), owner of a car repair shop in a suburb of the capital, Baghdad, confirms that he is content to remain in this small shop, despite his ambition to open a larger shop that includes all types of repairs, and is not limited to electrical ones.
Abbas explained, during an interview with Al Aalem Al Jadeed, that “I have the financial capacity to achieve my ambition, but I am very afraid of taking this step, due to the possibility of imposing protection money by unknown sides who claim to belong to armed groups and influential political parties.”
He added, “This happens often with some friends and acquaintances, who do not dare to deter unknown raiders.”
For his part, Abbas Jabbar (41 years old), the owner of a wedding hall, refers to “protection rackets” of another kind, which take the form of administrative corruption through extortion, and whose heroes are members of the tourist security linked to the Ministry of Interior.
Regarding this, Jabbar says, “They raided the hall because I did not have an official license to practice the profession, and after talking with them, it was concluded that they would be given a small amount every month, to ignore the issue of the vacation.”
He explains that “the issue often occurs in upscale areas of the capital, Baghdad, because many businessmen and politicians own shops and centers without anyone knowing their ownership, as they are not registered in the names of their real owners, and they give money without discussion, for fear of revealing their names.”
The Director of Information at the Baghdad Police, Lieutenant Colonel Aziz Nasser, had confirmed in January 2022 that, there are some people who impose protection money and rents on vehicles parked on the side of the road in areas of Baghdad, especially in the Karrada and Mansour areas, and quite a few of them were arrested by order. Judicial and legal measures taken against them, indicating that this case requires the concerted efforts of all security forces.
In this regard, lawyer Ahmed Al-Bawi explained, during an interview with Al Aalem Al Jadeed, that “many of Baghdad’s merchants and well-off people pay protection money for fear of their lives, their families, and their livelihoods, and many or most of the gangs that do this are armed groups that have the power of arms and authority, which is why the citizen is forced to pay.”
He stresses that “paying for protection is considered one of the crimes punishable by the Iraqi Penal Code, and addressing this phenomenon is up to the security services, as the state must impose the force of the law, especially in poor areas, where these groups are active. The weaker the security services, the more these organized gangs increase their influence.” And its influence.”
He points out that “a citizen’s resort to the judiciary under the control of these groups exposes his life and livelihood to the risk of being killed or kidnapped, especially since these groups have no deterrent from killing.”
The country is witnessing a large spread of illegal weapons, whether at the level of individuals, armed factions, or clans, and they are always used in personal, political, or tribal conflicts.
For his part, the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Miqdad Miri, during an interview with Al Aalem Al Jadeed, refuted that “there are unknown parties imposing protection rackets on shops, companies and citizens in the areas of the capital, Baghdad.”
Miri explains, “The Ministry is working in full swing to maintain the stability of the security situation in the areas of the capital, and in the event of such individual cases, the citizen must resort to the security forces so that the maximum legal measures can be taken against the perpetrators.”
Prime Minister Muhammad Shaia Al-Sudani had previously included in his ministerial platform a paragraph related to controlling uncontrolled weapons and confining them to the state. This is the same paragraph that was included in all government programs of previous heads of government, but it has not been implemented previously or currently.
