Execution for four of Tareq al-Hashemi’s bodyguards
The Iraqi court had ruled in June of last year the execution of three of Hashemi’s bodyguards after being convicted of murdering an Iraqi comedian .
A statement issued by the authority obtained by “Shafaq News “ said that “ the Central Criminal Court has issued a death sentence against four bodyguards of the convicted , Tareq al-Hashemi .
The statement said that those convicted with this judgment was for their involvement in detonating an explosive device on a patrol of Dura police station southern Baghdad.
Hashemi , who lives in nearby countries is sentenced to death for his conviction in 2012, the management of death squads during the sectarian acts that swept the country between 2005 and 2007 , but he rejects these charges.
Hashemi , is one of the senior Sunni political leaders in Iraq and the main opponents of al-Maliki. After being charged in December 2011 of leading a number of acts of violence, he fled to Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and then traveled to Qatar then Saudi Arabia before settling in Turkey.
The Turkish government granted Hashemi in 31 of last July, a permanent residence in the country to confirm its refusal to hand him over to the Iraqi authorities.
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) (ICPO) issued in the 8th of last May, a red notice against al- Hashemi based on suspicions that he was involved in leading and funding of terrorist groups in Iraq, as it stated that this procedure will limits from his movement and freedom significantly and allows the countries where he stay in to arrest him, while it confirmed that it is not an international arrest warrant.
The Central Criminal Court, issued earlier three death sentences against al-Hashemi and his son in law, the first was death sentence against , Tareq al-Hashemi in a murder case of a lawyer , an officer of national security and his wife, the second death to death in the case of planting a sticky bomb in an officer’s car in the Interior ministry , as he was sentenced to life imprisonment also, and the third on the background of the involvement of his son-in-law in preparing a car bomb in Madayeen area to explode it on Ashura pilgrims coming from Wasit province toward Karbala last year.
The conviction was based on the confessions of his bodyguards, according to Iraqi authorities that reported some of the offered testimonies, but Hashemi rejected the accusations and said that the confessions were taken under torture
It is noteworthy that the investigative body on al-Hashemi issue announced on 16 of last February that Hashimi and his bodyguards were involved in the implementation of 150 armed operations, like detonating car bombings, roadside bombs and rocket launchers as well as targeting Iraqi, Iranian pilgrims, senior officers and members of the parliament.
