Former Iraqi defense minister arrested at airport in Sweden

By Alexandra Enberg

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - A former Iraqi defense minister was arrested on arrival in Sweden for allegedly illegally receiving benefits in the Scandinavian country, a report said Tuesday.

Najah al-Shammari, who holds dual Iraqi-Swedish citizenship, was living in Iraq and receiving a salary from the Iraqi state but claimed child and housing support from Sweden for several years, said Swedish broadcaster TV4.

"It is about both livelihood support and housing allowance. It is both the municipality and the Social Insurance Agency that have sent in the report," said Jens Nilsson, the prosecutor in charge of the police investigation.

Al-Shammari registered as an emigrant when the criminal suspicions reached him and an international arrest warrant was issued when he left Sweden.

"He has been wanted, arrested in his absence, for almost a year and a half," said Nilsson.

The prosecutor told the channel that al-Shammari was served with criminal charges Monday but was released on the condition that he voluntarily come in for questioning on Tuesday.

He applied for a residence permit in 2009 and was granted Swedish citizenship in 2015.

Al-Shammari was Iraq's defense minister from 2019 to 2020.