Iraqi court sentences IS militants to death over 2014 Tikrit massacre
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 July 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraqi court sentences IS militants to death over 2014 Tikrit massacre, 8 July 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b5f4666.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 08, 2015
An Iraqi court on July 8 sentenced 24 men to death by hanging in connection with the June 2014 massacre by Islamic State (IS) militants of up to 1,700 Iraqi Air Force cadets on the outskirts of Tikrit.
Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, spokesman for Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, said four suspects were acquitted.
The ruling by Baghdad's Central Criminal Court is the first against 603 IS militants or allied militia fighters who have been accused of carrying out the massacre.
About 600 suspects in the mass killing are still sought by Iraqi authorities.
The mass killing is known as the Speicher massacre after the military academy in Salahuddin Province where the mostly Shi'ite Muslim victims were captured by IS militants.
The graves of the victims were exhumed in April after Iraqi government and allied forces retook Tikrit from IS militants.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, Daily Mail, and Shafaq News
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
