Sources close to the Iraqi judiciary told The New Arab that “the convicted belong to the Hezbollah Brigades faction, which has attempted in recent months to pressure the judiciary through political ties and threats, but has failed to do so”. [Getty]
The Central Criminal Court in the Iraqi capital Baghdad has sentenced two members of an armed faction to 15 years in prison after they were arrested last March on charges of participating in attacks on diplomatic missions and the US embassy in the Green Zone.
According to a court document circulated by Iraqi media, the sentences were issued against Karrar Hashim Falih Shaheen and Abbas Sattar Karim Hussein after they were convicted of carrying out a rocket attack targeting diplomatic missions and the US embassy in the Green Zone.
The document said the ruling, issued under Article 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Law, granted the affected party the right to seek compensation before civil courts once the ruling becomes final.
Sources close to the Iraqi judiciary told The New Arab that “the convicted belong to the Hezbollah Brigades faction, which has attempted in recent months to pressure the judiciary through political ties and threats, but has failed to do so”.
“The judiciary is determined to confront groups seeking to act as parallel forces and prevent them from taking control of state decisions and attacking missions and embassies,” sources added.
This is not the first time sentences have been issued against people involved in attacks targeting foreign missions and the US embassy.
People involved in similar acts have previously been arrested, but observers believe pressure could eventually lead to the release of defendants, particularly as similar cases have occurred—such as the release of the killer of security expert Hisham al-Hashimi on 6 July 2020. Hashimi was an officer who admitted in a video recording broadcast by the official Al-Iraqiya channel to carrying out the crime before being released and returning to his job under unclear circumstances.
The Iraqi judiciary, in coordination with security agencies and specialised higher committees, continuously oversees the issuance of arrest warrants and investigations into those involved in rocket and drone attacks targeting the Green Zone and diplomatic missions.
Decisions and measures are issued to pursue suspects, in addition to judicial arrest warrants, as well as holding negligent officials accountable.
During previous periods, the Iraqi authorities issued many decisions following attacks on diplomatic missions and the US embassy in Baghdad, including the detention of security officials in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, specialised national security and counter-terrorism investigative courts oversee the recording of detainees’ confessions to identify the networks that planned and carried out the attacks, although they have not announced the parties responsible for these acts.
An Iraqi officer told The New Arab that “the majority of those arrested for attacking diplomatic missions and the US embassy have links to armed factions that maintain a constant escalation against US interests in Iraq, and Washington often asks the Iraqi authorities to hold those involved accountable”.
“The arrests and sentences announced by the judiciary against members of these groups have led to a decline in attacks on the missions, meaning that they have begun to fear being held accountable,” he added.
Political and security researcher Mujashaa al-Tamimi told The New Arab that “the links between the individuals recently sentenced and armed factions are possible because the latter do not hesitate to announce that they carried out attacks”.
“The tools used by individuals to shell the US embassy and foreign missions cannot be considered ordinary tools but rather coordinates possessed by security agencies and factions that obtain them in more than one way,” he said.
“Deterring these people does not only mean protecting US interests in Iraq but is also a practical framework for making Iraq a safe country. At the same time, it is a serious declaration of standing up to armed factions that do not comply with the law,” he added.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.