Iraqi court sentences two terrorists to death by hanging for joining IS

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – A criminal court in Iraq has sentenced two terrorists to death by hanging for joining Islamic State, a judicial spokesman said.

The Wasit criminal court issued the ruling “after the pair admitted belonging to Islamic State,” Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, the spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, told Alghad Press Monday.

“One of the terrorists was behind a car bomb blast in Wasit governorate in August 2011 that left scores of innocent civilians dead, while the other was involved in several terrorist attacks in Taj al-Din area in the governorate,” the spokesman noted.

Al-Birqdar added that another terrorist was sentenced to life in jail over collaborating with the Free Syrian Army.

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

Iraq declared victory in December over Islamic State, which had seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014. The group has been driven out of all population centers it once controlled on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border, but members have continued to carry out bombings and other attacks in Iraq.