Man receives death sentence for killing ex-governor of Muthanna

MUTHANNA / IraqiNews.com: The al-Muthanna Criminal Court handed down a death sentence against a man who was found guilty of assassinating former governor Mohammed Ali al-Hassani, a court official said on Thursday. “The court sentenced Rassoul Abdelamir Jassem to death in accordance with article 4 of the anti-terror law after he was found involved in the assassination of Hassani,” the source told IraqiNews.com. Hassani had occupied the post of governor of al-Muthanna province after his election in October 2003. He was later re-elected for a second term in 2005. He was assassinated on August 20, 2007 in his hometown of al-Rumeitha when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle while heading for his office in the city of al-Samawa. The IED attack left Hassani and one of his escorts killed and another escort wounded. Samawa, the capital city of Muthanna, lies 270 km south of Baghdad. AmR (P) 3