On the 4th anniversary, Iraqi rights group renews call for justice in Hisham al-Hashemi's killing

Shafaq News/ An Iraqi rights group on Saturday urged the government to deliver justice for the 2020 killing of journalist Hisham al-Hashimi, marking the fourth anniversary of his assassination.

Al-Hashimi, a security analyst critical of armed groups, was shot dead outside his Baghdad home on July 6 four years ago. The killer, who was arrested later under Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's tenure, was a 36-year security officer. Al-Hashemi's murder sparked outrage across Iraq and was denounced by several Western countries as well as the United Nations.

The Nakhil Center for Human Rights and Freedom of the Press called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's government to fulfill its pledges to investigate killings during the 2019 Tishreen protests, including al-Hashimi's case.

"Justice remains elusive four years on," the rights group said in a statement. "The government must address these unresolved cases and uphold the rule of law."

In May, an Iraqi court sentenced to death the former policeman convicted of killing the prominent academic and expert on Sunni extremism after ten consecutive postponements.

At the time a security source told Shafaq News Agency that the suspect was linked to the powerful pro-Iran Kataeb Hezbollah, which Hashemi had criticized in his writings and media commentary.

More than 600 people were killed and thousands wounded in the protests that erupted in October 2019 and a crackdown on the demonstrations.

In the aftermath of the protests, a spate of killings, attempted murders and abductions targeted dozens of activists in Iraq.