Baghdad: Karkh Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced 18 people to three years in prison for promoting the banned Baath Party and belonging to the outlawed group said.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) stated that the Karkh Criminal Court convicted the defendants after discovering their use of social media platforms to adopt and promote the ideology of the banned Baath Party.

The court's decision was grounded on Article 10 of Law No. 32 of 2016, which prohibits the Baath Party and entities associated with racism, terrorism, and takfiri activities. This ruling was made in conjunction with Articles 47, 48, and 49, and with reference to Article 132(3) of the Iraqi Penal Code.