Iraqi court sentences five Islamic State terrorists to death by hanging

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi court has sentenced five terrorists to death by hanging over their membership in the Islamic State group and involvement in a terrorist attack against security forces in Baghdad.

Dijlah TV channel quoted the media office of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council as saying in a statement that the country’s Central Criminal Court issued the verdicts against the convicts after they confessed to attacking a security checkpoint in El Husseiniya district in Baghdad, leaving 13 people dead and injured.

The terrorists used a bobby-trapped vehicle in the attack, according to the statement.

Courts in Iraq have sentenced many of Islamic State members, including a big number of female members, to death over joining the militant group.

The exact number of detained militants is still unknown, however, it’s estimated to be at thousands. It’s also unclear how many members are likely to face death sentences.

Moreover, the Iraqi government did not provide estimates about the number of the foreign detained militants or those who have Arab or Iraqi origins.

Human rights groups have always criticized collective death sentences issued by Iraqi courts, claiming that some detainees are tortured and threatened.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.