Alleged killer of Iraqi security analyst sentenced to death

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and YASMINE MOSIMANN
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi court has issued a death sentence against the alleged killer of prominent Iraqi security analyst known for his expertise on the Islamic State group, nearly three years after his assassination. A criminal court on Sunday sentenced an Iraqi police officer to death for the killing of Hisham al-Hashimi, according to a statement from Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council. Al-Hashimi, 47, was gunned down in July 2020 in front of his home in Baghdad by two attackers on a motorcycle after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. The killings of activists and other critical voices became pervasive in Iraq during a crackdown on a mass protest movement that erupted in 2019, with many blaming Iran-backed militias.