Interior minister pledges accountability in Baghdad candidate assassination

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari claimed authorities have made progress in the investigation into last week’s killing of Baghdad Provincial Council member Safaa Al-Hijazi, and pledged accountability.

No suspects have yet been named.

“We have completed a large part of the investigation […] and we will soon identify the perpetrators,” he said, adding that the government has promised the victim’s family “his blood will not be wasted.”

Al-Hijazi was also a candidate in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, set to take place on Nov. 11. He was killed in a car bombing.

In an interview with Al Hadath Iraq, Al-Shammari addressed aspects of election security. He said cases of defaced candidate posters fall into three categories: competition between candidates, acts by election boycotters, and individual or theft-related incidents. “We have arrested some of these individuals and referred them to the judiciary,” he said.

On the Sadrist movement’s election boycott, the minister said, “Our assessment is that these directives will not include demonstrations or disruption of the electoral process, and we appreciate this.” He added, “Polling stations are open, all are secured, and every citizen can cast their vote.”

Excerpts from Abdul Amir Al-Shammari interview with Al Hadath Iraq:

We have completed a large part of the investigation into the killing of Safaa Al-Mashhadani, with a promise to his family that his blood will not be wasted, and we will soon identify the perpetrators.

The issue of tearing down candidate posters falls into three categories: the first involves electoral competition between parties within the same district; the second includes those boycotting the elections; and the third are individual acts or theft of the metal frames. We have arrested some of these individuals and referred them to the judiciary. These campaign materials are present in all provinces, and there have been no threats against them. We have instructed all police commanders to secure these electoral campaigns.

We reviewed the directives issued by Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr regarding the supporters of the Sadrist movement boycotting the elections. Our assessment is that these directives will not include demonstrations or disruption of the electoral process, and we appreciate this. At the same time, the doors of polling stations are open, all are secured, and every citizen can cast their vote.

We have detected several cases of vote-selling, and the offenders have been referred to the judiciary.

I did not participate in the elections for two reasons. The first is that I have no political ambition—with full respect for all participating candidates. I am an officer who spent 38 years in military service and rose through the ranks until I reached the position of Minister of Interior, a role tied to my professional background. To succeed in it, I must work independently. Therefore, I have no political ambition.

The second reason is that since taking office as Minister of Interior, I established regulations for promotions, appointments, transfers, and studies to place the ministry on the right path. These rules serve the public interest, not individuals. Running for office would lead to voters submitting requests, asking me to bypass promotion criteria for one person and transfer rules for another. This would ultimately harm the ministry and the regulations I put in place. It is not right for the ministry to suffer, so I chose not to run.