Al-Hashimi's family responds to verdict reversal

Shafaq News / Thursday saw the family of the late security expert, martyr Hisham Al-Hashimi, issue a statement concerning the Iraqi judiciary's decision to overturn the death sentence for the convicted Ahmed Hamdawi Awid, who was involved in the murder of their son.

In a statement, Al-Hashimi's family expressed "great shock" at the verdict, highlighting that it came after explicit confessions from the convict and substantial efforts by state authorities during over a year of investigation.

The family questioned whether this is the reward for a life devoted to combating terrorist ideologies, and whether a change in government leads to a shift in justice.

The Al-Hashimi family called upon the Head of the Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, to diligently scrutinize the evidence, resist altering the course of the investigation, and to withstand known political pressures.

Notably, the Iraqi judiciary recently decided to annul the death sentence against Ahmed Hamdawi Awid, who was convicted of the murder of security expert Hisham Al-Hashimi, and ordered a reinvestigation into the case.

It's worth mentioning that earlier in the day, Abu Ali Al-Askari, the security official of the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, applauded the judicial authority's decision to reverse the death sentence.

In May of this year, the Iraqi judiciary had initially issued a death sentence for the killer of the renowned security expert Hisham Al-Hashimi, following the postponement of the sentencing session ten times in a row.

Al-Hashimi was assassinated on July 6, 2020, in front of his home in the Zayouna area of Baghdad, sparking outrage among the public and gaining international attention.

In July 2021, former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced the arrest of Al-Hashimi's killers. The state TV broadcasted the confessions of the accused, a 36-year-old first lieutenant officer.