ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A Washington federal court has dismissed a complaint filed against Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, members of his family, and key officials, finding it “woefully lacking,” according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
“U.S. Federal Judge Randolph Moss found plaintiffs’ claims against Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his family and the Kurdistan Regional Government so woefully lacking that the entire action was dismissed against all 63 named defendants,” read the statement from the KRG on Thursday.
The dismissed lawsuit makes several allegations against Prime Minister Barzani and his associates, all of which were shut down by the American court. The KRG statement noted that the presiding judge warned the plaintiffs “could be subject to serious sanctions by the court.”
The KRG Representation in the US labeled the lawsuit “a foreign political fight” ahead of the upcoming elections, considering it to be “a serious misuse of the court.”
Prime Minister Barzani has been the target of several failed defamation attempts, aimed at harming his credibility and that of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the lead-up for the elections.
The Kurdistan Region is set to hold parliamentary elections on October 20, and even with said attempts, the KDP is still projected to receive the highest number of votes.