Iraq arrests former security official over execution of Shiite cleric who opposed Saddam Hussein

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's National Security Agency said Friday it arrested a former high-level security official for his involvement in the 1980 execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and his sister during Saddam Hussein ’s brutal crackdown on religious opposition.

Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr was a leading Iraqi Shiite cleric and political critic who opposed the secular Ba’athist government of the former Iraqi president. His opposition intensified following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which heightened Saddam’s fears of a Shiite-led uprising in Iraq.

In 1980, as the government moved against Shiite activists, al-Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda — a religious scholar and activist who spoke out against government oppression — were arrested. Reports indicate they were tortured before being executed by hanging on April 8, 1980. The government refused to return their bodies, fearing their graves would become rallying points for resistance. Al-Sadr's execution deepened Shiite opposition to Saddam, fueling movements that contributed to the Ba’athist government’s eventual downfall.

The primary suspect in al-Sadr’s execution, Saadoun Sabri Jamil Jumaa al-Qaisi, was among five people detained five months ago, a security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press.

Al-Qaisi held high-ranking positions under Saddam, including director of state security and director of security in the port city of Basra as well as the central city of Najaf. He is accused of overseeing al-Sadr’s detention and execution.

After the 2003 fall of Saddam’s government, al-Qaisi fled to Syria, assuming the alias “Hajj Saleh” to evade prosecution, the security source said. He returned to Iraq on Feb. 26, 2023, and was arrested in Erbil — 44 years after the execution.

According to the Iraqi National Security Agency, al-Qaisi faces a potential death sentence. A final verdict is expected next week.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani praised the arrest on X, saying, “We reaffirm our commitment to tracking down criminals, no matter how long they have been on the run.”