Senior Iraqi arrested for ‘executing siblings throughout Saddam’s brutal crackdown’

Iraq’s Nationwide Safety Company stated Friday it arrested a former high-level safety official for his involvement within the 1980 execution of a distinguished Shiite cleric and his sister throughout Saddam Hussein’s brutal crackdown on non secular opposition.

Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr was a number one Iraqi Shiite cleric and political critic who opposed the secular Ba’athist authorities of the previous Iraqi president.

His opposition intensified following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which heightened Saddam’s fears of a Shiite-led rebellion in Iraq.

In 1980, as the federal government moved towards Shiite activists, al-Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda – a non secular scholar and activist who spoke out towards authorities oppression – have been arrested.

Experiences point out they have been tortured earlier than being executed by hanging on April 8, 1980.

The federal government refused to return their our bodies, fearing their graves would change into rallying factors for resistance. Al-Sadr’s execution deepened Shiite opposition to Saddam, fueling actions that contributed to the Ba’athist authorities’s eventual downfall.

The first suspect in al-Sadr’s execution, Saadoun Sabri Jamil Jumaa al-Qaisi, was amongst 5 folks detained 5 months in the past, a safety official, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as they weren’t approved to talk publicly, instructed The Related Press.

Al-Qaisi held high-ranking positions beneath Saddam, together with director of state safety and director of safety within the port metropolis of Basra and the central metropolis of Najaf. He’s accused of overseeing al-Sadr’s detention and execution.

After the 2003 fall of Saddam’s authorities, al-Qaisi fled to Syria, assuming the alias “Hajj Saleh” to evade prosecution, the safety supply stated. He returned to Iraq on Feb. 26, 2023, and was arrested in Erbil – 44 years after the execution.

Based on the Iraqi Nationwide Safety Company, al-Qaisi faces a possible demise sentence.

A ultimate verdict is anticipated subsequent week.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani praised X’s arrest, saying, “We reaffirm our dedication to monitoring down criminals, regardless of how lengthy they’ve been on the run.”