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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.”
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