What kind of government can emerge when a judge steps onto the political stage? What happens when Iraq’s Chief Justice, Faiq Zidan, transforms from a guardian of the law into a power broker serving clear Iranian interests? What is the meaning of government when it is forged through collusion, political blackmail and submission, far from the rules of ordinary political engagement?

What is happening in Iraq today is not taking place behind closed doors. On the contrary, it is happening in full view of the cameras. For weeks, Faiq Zidan has been acting like a politician, not a judge. He appears. He negotiates. He smiles for the cameras. He acts as if he holds an unwritten mandate to manage the state.

From the selection of parliamentary speaker Haibat al-Halbousi, to orchestrating a parliament in which representation has lost its meaning, to negotiating with Kurdish parties in Erbil and presenting himself as the sole authority over armed militias, it is clear that Zidan is not impartial.

He is the central player. Perhaps the most powerful actor in the room. The question is no longer whether he will intervene. Rather, it is: who gave him this role, if not Iran? What political authority does a judge have when acting as a party leader or the ultimate arbiter of power balances?

Recently, an investigative team of Iraqi journalists produced an extensive report on Zidan, dubbing him ‘Iraq’s Escobar’. The report highlighted his ‘silver or lead’ doctrine: two options for any opponent and no third — accept the bribe or face severe consequences.

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