Baghdad:The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) emphasized the necessity of addressing the issue of begging and pursuing related crimes of unlawful exploitation.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the SJC announced that the Judicial Development Institute held a specialized workshop in collaboration with the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This workshop focused on tackling the phenomenon of begging in Iraq.

The workshop featured presentations by Judge Laith Jabr, Head of the Judicial Supervision Authority, and Lieutenant General Hadi Ruzaij, Deputy Minister of Interior for Police Affairs. They aimed to unify perspectives and establish joint operational mechanisms to address the issue.

Participants in the workshop included judges from the Baghdad/Al-Rusafa and Al-Karkh Appeal Courts, representatives from the Public Prosecution, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Interior, the National Security Advisory, the National Security Service, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Judge Laith Jabr highlighted the role of the SJC in enforcing the rule of law and emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, security agencies, and other government bodies. This effort aims to tackle begging within the legal framework and address crimes or illicit exploitation, while considering humanitarian and social circumstances that require intervention.

He further stressed that addressing begging goes beyond judicial or security responses, requiring coordination among the judiciary, security agencies, social welfare bodies, and other relevant institutions. This approach has led to severe legal actions against individuals managing or organizing networks for profit, as well as prosecuting those exploiting others for illicit gains.