The Red Passport Scandal: Idris Nechirvan Barzani and Iraq’s Crisis of Diplomatic Privilege

By: Kurdfile Investigative Team

In a country where ordinary citizens wait months for a passport often at the mercy of corruption, extortion, and inefficiency thousands of privileged Iraqis walk through global borders with a red passport in hand: the coveted Iraqi diplomatic passport.

This week, Kurdfile publishes exclusive evidence revealing that Idris Nechirvan Barzani, a member of the ruling Barzani family, holds such a passport, despite having no official diplomatic role or employment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The image of his diplomatic passport, now public, exposes the latest chapter in one of Iraq’s most persistent scandals: the abuse and politicization of diplomatic privileges by elites and their inner circles.

A Passport of Power  Not Service

Diplomatic passports are designed to serve a specific international purpose. Their issuance is meant to be limited to high-ranking officials and diplomats whose roles demand legal protections abroad not to social elites or politically connected family members traveling for leisure or private business. Yet, in Iraq, this red passport has become a status symbol handed out to influencers, business tycoons, tribal leaders, and in this case, to Idris Nechirvan Barzani, whose only qualification appears to be his family name.

Since 2003, more than 45,000 diplomatic passports have reportedly been issued in Iraq. Of these, at least 32,000 were granted in the last four years, with 10,000 given to individuals outside the diplomatic corps, according to MP Sarwa Abdulwahid, a vocal member of Iraq’s Parliamentary Integrity Committee. Some recipients, she claims, include “TikTokers and fashion models.”

Now, with the publication of Idris Barzani’s passport, the scandal has found its face.

A Broken System in a Failing State

Iraq’s regular passport ranks 104th globally, just above Afghanistan. Yet while citizens are stuck in long queues, many report being asked for bribes to move forward in the process. In contrast, Barzani elites and their associates receive expedited access to diplomatic passports red-carpeted by a system designed to favor the powerful.

Legal Grey Zones, Political Protection

According to Article 17 of Iraq’s 2011 Passport Regulations, diplomatic passports can be granted to certain high-level state employees and their immediate family members. But legal scholars argue the provision is dangerously vague, allowing rampant abuse and manipulation.

“This law opens the floodgates for nepotism,” said civil law specialist Abdulsalam Ghazi. “It was never intended to give unqualified individuals the power of a state ambassador.”

Professor Tariq Mohamed Dhanoun, a strategic international relations expert, adds: “A diplomatic passport must be rare to be respected. Iraq has flooded the system undermining its own international credibility.”

Silence from the Top

Despite Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s 2022 directive to review and revoke unlawfully issued diplomatic passports, no official actions or revocations have been made public. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under Fuad Hussein, remains tight-lipped, having ignored multiple inquiries from MPs and journalists.

Why Idris Barzani Matters

Idris Nechirvan Barzani’s name may not appear on any formal diplomatic roster. But his surname grants him access to a world reserved for the ruling elite in the Kurdistan Region — where family ties trump public duty.

Publishing his passport is not just a symbolic act. It reflects a deep rot within Iraq’s political fabric where sons and nephews inherit not just titles and wealth, but the literal documents of state power, intended to serve the nation, not a dynasty.

The consequences go beyond optics. Diplomatic passports provide immunity from prosecution, customs exemptions, and visa-free travel. These benefits when given to non-diplomats create national security risks, increase the risk of smuggling, and weaken Iraq’s global standing.

A Call for Accountability

Kurdfile joins Iraqi citizens, legal experts, and members of parliament in demanding a full audit of all diplomatic passports issued since 2003. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must explain how individuals like Idris Barzani were granted diplomatic status and under what legal framework.

This is not merely a question of paperwork. It is a test of whether Iraq can reclaim its institutions from the grip of corruption, family rule, and bureaucratic impunity.

Kurdfile asks, what is the difference between Idris Barzani and an Iraqi citizen? Why should the children of officials be considered more important? Will this red passport save them from the wrath of the people?

In a country where the death of one honest journalist like Sardasht Osman , Kawa Garmyani, Soran Mama Hama, and many others remains unpunished, and where voices demanding justice are silenced exposing a red passport in the pocket of the untouchables is an act of resistance.