Death sentence issued for killer of professor Sarah Al-Aboudi

BASRA — An Iraqi court has sentenced Dhurgham Abdul-Salam Al-Tamimi to death by hanging after convicting him of the murder of university professor Sarah Al-Aboudi, former MP Rehab Al-Aboudi announced Sunday.

Al-Aboudi described the ruling as “a victory for justice,” in a case that shocked Iraq last year.

She said, “The Iraqi judiciary has issued a death sentence by hanging against the convicted Dhurgham Abdul-Salam Al-Tamimi, after finding him guilty of the murder of university professor Sarah Al-Aboudi.”

Al-Aboudi praised the judiciary’s stance, saying it had resisted influence and pressure. “As we have come to expect from the Iraqi judiciary, it does not bargain with the blood of the innocent, and it stands firmly with justice against anyone who dares to violate the law and humanity,” she said.

The case drew national attention in November after Sarah Al-Aboudi’s body was found in a remote area south of Basra. The suspect, a fellow academic and family acquaintance, had attempted to mislead investigators by sending false messages from the victim’s phone.

He was arrested within 12 hours of the crime, according to Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani, who confirmed the suspect is his brother-in-law but said, “The law applies to everyone without exception.”