Iraqi court sentences three Islamic State terrorists to death by hanging

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi court has sentenced three members of the terrorist Islamic State group to death by hanging over their involvement in a car bomb blast in Salahuddin province last year, an attack that left scores dead and wounded, a judicial official was quoted as saying Tuesday.

“Salahuddin Criminal Court found the trio guilty of detonating a booby-trapped vehicle on al Ateba’ street in Tikrit, the administrative center of Salahuddin, on March 15, 2017, leaving dozens killed and wounded,” Baghdad Today website quoted Abdul Sattar al-Biraqdar, the spokesman for Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, as saying.

According to Biraqdar, the three were found to be members of the terrorist Islamic State group.

“The court ruling was issued pursuant to article 4/1 of the anti-terrorism law,” al-Biraqdar pointed out.

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.

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 number of the foreign detained militants or those who have Arab or Iraqi origins.