Iraq executes former Saddam-era official Saadoun al-Qaisi

Iraq’s National Security Service announced on Monday that it had carried out the execution of Saadoun Sabri al-Qaisi, a former senior security official under Saddam Hussein’s regime, in what appears to be the first execution of a former regime figure in many years.

In a statement, the agency said the death sentence was implemented "based on the efforts of the National Security Service in investigation and intelligence follow-up", adding that al-Qaisi was executed by hanging "after the completion of all legally required judicial procedures".

The statement said al-Qaisi had been convicted of " grave crimes against humanity", including his involvement in the execution of the prominent Shia religious authority Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, his sister al-Alawiya Bint al-Huda, as well as other members of the al-Hakim family and civilians. 

Al-Sadr was a fierce critic of Saddam Hussein's regime, while his sister, a religious scholar, spoke out against government oppression. Their execution and reports of their torture at the time triggered widespread backlash.

The agency did not reveal exactly when al-Qaisi was executed. 

Al-Qaisi, who held the rank of major general, occupied several senior security positions under Saddam Hussein’s rule, including director of the Fifth Department in the General Security Directorate, head of security in the provinces of Basra, Maysan, and Najaf, director of economic security, and director of general political affairs.

The National Security Service announced on 31 January 2025 that it had arrested al-Qaisi along with four others described as "among the most notorious criminals" of the former regime.

On 30 June 2025, the service said Iraq’s competent criminal court had sentenced al-Qaisi to death after convicting him of participating in the execution of al-Sadr and his sister in 1980.

Ahmed al-Rubaie, a legal affairs specialist, told The New Arab's sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the execution marked a significant development. 

"The implementation of a death sentence against one of the prominent officials of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s regime is a striking event, as it is the first of its kind in many years," he said.

Al-Rubaie added that the move came "at a sensitive juncture where law intersects with memory and the political trajectory of the Iraqi state".

He said the execution reflected "the state’s insistence on completing pathways related to the files of the previous era", but cautioned against politicising the issue.

"It is necessary to separate the legal dimension from the political dimension in such cases," al-Rubaie said, warning that exploiting the event in political or media discourse could "reopen the wounds of the past rather than strengthen national reconciliation".

He added that Iraq’s current phase required "focusing on consolidating a state of institutions, ensuring judicial independence, and dealing with the legacy of the past in a legal and responsible spirit", in a way that balances justice, stability, and social peace.