AhlulBayt News Agency: Iraq’s Supreme Criminal Court has sentenced two former Ba'ath regime officials to death for their role in the 1980 assassination of prominent Shia scholar Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Baqir Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda. The ruling marks a significant judicial step in addressing crimes committed under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.
The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council announced that Saadoun Sabri and Haitham Abdulaziz, both members of the Ba'ath regime’s security apparatus, confessed to their involvement in the killings, which took place in the Jisr al-Diyala area. They also admitted to transferring Ayatollah Sadr’s body to Najaf after the execution.
The court issued the verdict under Articles 12 and 15 of the Supreme Criminal Court Law (No. 10 of 2005) and Article 406, Clause 1 of Iraq’s Penal Code, which pertain to crimes against humanity and premeditated murder.
The martyrdom of Ayatollah Sadr and Bint al-Huda is remembered as one of the Ba'ath regime’s most brutal acts against Shia religious figures. Their deaths left a lasting impact on Iraq’s religious and political landscape. After decades, justice has now been formally served.
This ruling follows a February 2024 announcement by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, confirming the arrest of those responsible for the killings of Ayatollah Sadr, his sister, and members of the al-Hakim family. He emphasized Iraq’s unwavering pursuit of justice, regardless of time passed.
Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir Sadr was a revered Shia cleric, philosopher, and founder of the Islamic Dawa Party. He was executed by Saddam’s regime under accusations of collaboration with Iran, a charge widely seen as politically motivated.
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