Iraq's ambassador in Amman clarifies scuffle in consular section that led to police being called

Iraq's ambassador to Jordan, Omar al-Barzanji, announced that a scuffle occurred inside the embassy's consular section between an Iraqi woman and several mission employees during her visit to complete procedures, which escalated to the point that the police were called to take legal action.

In a statement, al-Barzanji said available information indicates the woman directed abusive language at several embassy employees, which led to the escalation and the summoning of security forces. He added that the clarification statement was issued in response to posts circulating on social media that accused the embassy and the ambassador, and affirmed that he had tried to avoid responding to previous posts to prevent unhelpful media disputes, but that the latest post necessitated clarifying the circumstances, particularly regarding the source of the complaint and the family's relation to the matter.

The ambassador said he received, "yesterday, Wednesday, October 14, 2026," a message from Dr. Raad al-Zaidi, the woman's father, in which he denied any link between the ambassador or the consul and any insult to his family, and also denied his family's involvement in what was published or circulated. He added that al-Zaidi did not authorize anyone to speak or publish on behalf of the family, while reserving his right to file a complaint against a number of employees.

The ambassador published the text of the woman's father's message in which he described what happened as "a misunderstanding" between his daughter and several consular employees, according to the statement.

Al-Barzanji called for consideration of the full circumstances of the incident, including what was said by all parties and the conditions that preceded the police call, and not relying on a single account, stressing the need to take all facts into account before generalizing judgments or accusations.

The ambassador concluded by affirming that proper treatment of citizens and adherence to professional duties is the responsibility of mission employees, and that any proven misconduct by an employee warrants accountability under the law, while giving them the opportunity to present their case and defend themselves, and that citizens have the right to submit complaints and grievances through official channels.