Iraq hands capital punishment to ISIS member and tribal gunman
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraqi courts sentenced two men, including an ISIS militant, to death for terrorism-related crimes in Nineveh and Baghdad, the Supreme Judicial Council announced on Wednesday.
According to the council, the al-Karkh Criminal Court ruled against an ISIS fighter for his role in armed operations during the group’s 2014 takeover of Nineveh.
Read more: Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification
Meanwhile, the Central Criminal Court convicted a defendant for killing five Interior Ministry personnel and injuring 12 others during a tribal clash in eastern Baghdad’s al-Maamel area, where the attacker and his accomplices opened fire on security forces trying to break up the violence.
Both convictions were issued under Article 4 of Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law, which mandates capital punishment for deadly attacks—a statute routinely enforced by courts nationwide.
Earlier this week, the Muthanna Criminal Court sentenced a man to death for a 2013 double car bombing in al-Rumaitha that killed two civilians, wounded 13 others, and caused heavy damage in the city’s industrial zone.
Although executions remain controversial, the Iraqi Presidency confirmed in late 2024 that no death sentence is carried out without full judicial review, emphasizing that all capital cases undergo “legal scrutiny” before final approval.
