Baghdad Court Sentences Ex-Agriculture Director to Death Over Deadly Armed Raid
Former Baghdad Agriculture Director sentenced to death for leading an armed raid on his old office, killing two and injuring security forces.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a decisive judicial ruling that underscores the severity of armed violence against state institutions, the Rusafa Criminal Court on Tuesday handed down a death sentence to the former Director of Agriculture of Baghdad.
The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a legal case surrounding a violent insurrection that shook the capital earlier this year, involving a dispute over administrative power that escalated into a deadly confrontation with security forces.
The Rusafa Criminal Court issued a formal statement confirming the maximum penalty, announcing that "the death penalty was imposed on the former Director of Agriculture of Baghdad."
The ruling addresses the chaos that unfolded when the convict, refusing to accept his dismissal from the prominent position, orchestrated an armed assault on the government facility he once managed.
The court’s statement detailed that the former director, following his removal from the post, mobilized an armed group to raid the Baghdad Directorate of Agriculture.
The objective of this violent incursion was to confront the official who had been appointed as his replacement, a move that triggered a severe security crisis in the capital.
The situation quickly deteriorated into an open armed conflict. According to the court's findings, the former director and his accompanying gunmen clashed violently with security forces who responded to the scene.
The ensuing firefight resulted in tragic loss of life, with the court confirming that one government employee and a civilian were killed in the crossfire. Additionally, the violence resulted in injuries to several other individuals, compounding the tragedy of the administrative dispute turned deadly.
The judiciary anchored its decision in the country’s robust legal framework designed to combat armed insurgency and terrorism. The statement clarified that the death sentence was issued in strict accordance with Article Four/1 and Article 2/1/3/5 of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005.
These legal provisions are typically reserved for acts that threaten public security, target state infrastructure, or involve organized armed violence, reflecting the court's categorization of the raid as an act of terror against the state apparatus.
The roots of this judicial outcome trace back to a harrowing incident that occurred on Sunday, July 27, 2025. At that time, the violence erupted in the Shuhada neighborhood of the Saydiya area in Baghdad.
A source within the Baghdad police had previously provided details to Kurdistan24’s correspondent, Shvan Jabari, painting a chaotic picture of the initial confrontation. The police source reported a fierce fight and clash involving elements of the Hashd al-Shaabi and the Seventh Brigade of the Federal Police.
Early reports from the scene indicated that the underlying tension involved a dispute over agricultural land, a conflict that resulted in injuries to nine members of the security forces who were attempting to maintain order.
Following the July incident, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior released a comprehensive statement shedding light on the mechanics of the assault.
The Ministry revealed that the violence was triggered by the arrival of the new director at the office of the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. It was at this critical juncture that the armed group, led by the ousted official, raided the directorate's building.
The Ministry’s account highlighted the aggression faced by law enforcement, noting that when the Federal Police arrived at the scene to intervene, they were directly attacked by the gunmen. This immediate escalation led to injuries among a number of officers and members of the security forces who were caught in the barrage.
Despite the intensity of the clash, state security forces managed to assert control over the situation.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed in its statement following the event that the security forces were successful in arresting 14 of the gunmen who had a hand in the incident, dismantling the group responsible for the attack.
Tuesday’s death sentence against the former director stands as the final judicial reckoning for the ringleader of an event that blurred the lines between administrative disputes and armed terrorism in the heart of Baghdad.
