Arrest warrants have been issued for the killers of prominent Iraqi thinker Hisham Al Hashimi, the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, announced on Thursday.
Death sentences were also issued for Iraqi officers in Wasit and Babil for the killings of Iraqi protesters, Mr Zaidan said in an interview with the Iraqi News Agency.
No further details were provided on the other cases.
Al Hashimi was shot dead outside his Baghdad home by gunmen on motorcycles on July 6 last year. He left behind a wife, three sons and a daughter.
The security expert was one of Iraq's most prominent researchers on the country's extremist movements, providing crucial insights into the operations of ISIS and Shiite militia groups. He was also a supporter of the country's anti-corruption protest movement.
His killing sparked widespread outrage and protesters took to the streets to demand justice and accountability for his death.
On Tuesday, the anniversary of Hashimi's death, calls for action against his killers were renewed.
Large-scale demonstrations erupted in Iraq in late 2019, with tens of thousands rallying against government corruption and a lack of basic services and employment opportunities.
After the mass protests, many activists and prominent thinkers like Hashimi were killed with impunity. The government has been heavily criticised for not acting on these crimes.
At the end of May, the government arrested militia leader Qassem Musleh on suspicion of being behind several high-profile assassinations of activists and protesters. He was later released by the judiciary for lack of evidence.
“The judiciary did not succumb to any pressure in the case of Qassem Musleh,” Mr Zaidan said on Thursday.
“The evidence is insufficient to convict him, as he was released after being acquitted of the accusation against him of killing protesters, including Ihab Al Wazni,” he said. “Musleh was not in Iraq at the time of the crime and for this reason he was released.”
Al Wazni's killing was one of a new wave of assassinations of Iraqi activists. The prominent anti-government campaigner, known as the “Hero of Karbala”, was killed in the central city by unknown gunmen in May.
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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