In 2009 the government committee responsible for overseeing trade union elections announced that the Iraqi Teachers Union (ITU) had to hold elections. However, the union believed that it was clear the committee members were seeking political domination over the union. The ITU therefore refused to participate, arguing that they had recently held their own elections under their union’s rules. They also obtained a court ruling declaring the interference of the committee to be illegal.
Nevertheless, elections were held in January 2010 but with widespread voting irregularities. The ITU leadership refused to recognise the results. Ibrahim al-Battat, the Basra president of the ITU, was also detained for eight days and threatened for not handing over the union’s membership list while an arrest warrant was issued for Jasim Hussein Mohammed, the national leader of the ITU.