Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Federal Court of Cassation, affiliated with Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, has reduced the prison sentence for the man convicted of killing journalist Laith Mohammed Rida from 15 years to six years.

According to an official document, the court said the decision was based on the defendant's young age, stressing that he "should be given an opportunity for reform."

Rida, a journalist with the Iraqi Media Network, was killed in March 2025 during a dispute in Baghdad’s Arasat area.

Video footage obtained by Shafaq News shows the driver drawing a gun from his car and shooting Reda following a brief argument. A witness said the dispute began when Rida asked the driver not to speed through the narrow street due to the presence of children.

Security sources told Shafaq News that the suspect is believed to be a member of a government official’s protection detail.

Police later confirmed that the incident was a criminal case, not an assassination, stating that it involved a quarrel between neighbors.