A court in Iraq on Wednesday sentenced nine persons to death on charges of drug trafficking.
A statement by the Supreme Judicial Council said the Central Criminal Court issued a verdict to execute nine drug dealers after 186 kg of various drugs were seized by anti-narcotic agencies.
The chaos and conflicts that have engulfed Iraq since the United States invasion in 2003 impeded Iraqi governments from effectively addressing the threat of drugs.
In May 2023, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani underlined the importance of waging “a war on drugs.”
He said drug dealing remains one of the main ways of financing terrorism, and the circulation of drugs flourishes in the shadow of terrorism.