Iraqi Judiciary Reveals Details of the Assassination of Parliamentary Candidate Safaa Al-Mashhadani

The Iraqi judiciary has revealed new details in the assassination of parliamentary candidate Safaa Al-Mashhadani, which occurred about ten days ago in the Tarmiya area north of Baghdad, confirming that the motive behind the incident is of a "criminal nature related to electoral competition among members of the same region."

This announcement came through a statement from the First Karkh Investigative Court, which clarified that "investigations revealed the involvement of two suspects who confessed to committing the crime, and their main role in executing the incident was established through technical evidence and analysis of surveillance camera recordings."

For his part, the investigating judge confirmed in separate statements that "the investigations proved that the incident is of a criminal nature related to electoral competition among members of the same region," which gives a final dimension to the crime that shook the political circles.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior had previously announced the arrest of 5 suspects involved in the assassination operation, which targeted Al-Mashhadani during a field tour on the morning of October 15. The Supreme Judicial Council later confirmed the arrest of suspects who confessed to carrying out the crime.

This incident is the first political assassination recorded in the electoral race for the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on November 11, 2025. Safaa Al-Mashhadani, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council, was running for election on the "Sovereignty Alliance" list, which is one of the most important Sunni political entities, headed by Khamis Al-Khanjar and the current Speaker of Parliament, Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani.

It is worth noting that Iraq has witnessed a series of assassinations and kidnappings over the past years targeting civil activists, journalists, and politicians, including opponents of armed factions.

Despite the circulation of official promises to hold accountable and prosecute everyone involved in such crimes, several cases, including kidnappings that occurred four years ago, remain unresolved to this day, raising questions about the authorities' ability to break the cycle of impunity.