Iraqi lawmaker's immunity lifted

[frigidmagi]

BBC

The Iraqi parliament has lifted the immunity of an MP, leaving him liable to arrest over several fatal attacks.

Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Daini was earlier on a flight to Jordan when the plane was made to turn around and return to Iraq.

Allegations against Mr Daini include claims he was involved in the bombing of the Iraqi parliament in 2007.

He says the claims are untrue and adds he was going to Jordan to visit his family and was not trying to flee.

Iraq's Shia-led government also accuses Mr Daini of ordering car bombings, mortar attacks and mass murders in Iraq.

The suicide attack inside the parliament building in Baghdad killed eight people.

Revenge

On Sunday, tapes of alleged confessions by two of Mr Daini's bodyguards were broadcast to reporters.

One of the bodyguards, who is also Mr Daini's nephew, claimed the lawmaker had given an authorisation paper to the suicide bomber to enter parliament.

The BBC's Mike Sergeant in Baghdad says the nephew also alleged that when 11 of Mr Daini's security guards were killed, he ordered that 110 people be buried alive in revenge.

Mr Daini, a Sunni Muslim with the National Dialogue Front party has described the allegations as politically motivated "fabrication".

His supporters also say that other MPs should be questioned about their involvement in sectarian violence.

But further investigations into the past activities of MPs, both Sunni and Shia, could lead to even greater suspicion between religious and political factions, our correspondent says.