Iraqi man faces death sentence over killing priest in Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi criminal court has sentenced a man to death over his involvement in killing a priest in Mosul city, a judicial spokesman said.

“A group of terrorists attacked the motorcade of priest Poulis Farag Raho in al-Nour district in Mosul city in February 2008, killing his bodyguards,” Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, the spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, was quoted by the Alghdad Press website as saying on Sunday.

“The terrorists then kidnapped the priest and demanded a ransom of 50,000 dollars from the church,” the spokesman said, adding that when the church declined to pay the ransom, the terrorists killed the priest.

Iraqi courts have sentenced tens of Islamic State members, including a big number of female members, to death over joining the militant group.

The exact number of detained militants is still unknown, however, it’s estimated to be at thousands. It’s also unclear how many members are likely to face death sentences.

Moreover, the Iraqi government did not provide estimates about number of the foreign detained militants or those who have Arab or Iraqi origins.

Human rights groups have always criticized collective death sentences issued by Iraqi courts, claiming that some detainees are tortured and threatened.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.