Houthi Office in Baghdad Accused of Extortion Racket Targeting Yemeni Residents

An Iraqi journalist has exposed extensive financial extortion operations orchestrated by leaders of the Houthi militia's office in Baghdad, targeting Yemeni nationals residing in Iraq by exploiting complex legal residency procedures for illicit brokerage deals.

Journalist Othman Al-Mukhtar stated on the X platform that recent tightening of residency procedures by Iraqi authorities for Arab expatriates has created an avenue for profiteering and blackmail against the Yemeni community residing in various Iraqi cities for years.

Al-Mukhtar indicated that the militia's Baghdad office has deviated from any presumed function, transforming instead into a "brokerage center" managed by influential Houthi leaders.

According to Al-Mukhtar, this network demands sums reaching approximately $1,000 per individual, offering illusory promises to facilitate residency transactions and bypass legal obstacles. This amount reportedly exceeds the capacity of most Yemenis, the majority of whom work in menial professions and struggle to secure basic sustenance.

Al-Mukhtar specifically named several leaders implicated in these abuses: "Abu Idris Al-Sharafi," "Fadl Al-Sharafi," and a third leader identified as "Kamal Al-Houthi." He affirmed that these individuals are leveraging their influence to pressure community members into paying these levies, capitalizing on the residents' urgent need to regularize their legal status within the country.