Basra court issues death sentence for woman convicted of drug trafficking

BASRA — Basra Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced a woman to death for drug trafficking after authorities found 10 kilograms of narcotics in her possession, including methamphetamine, tramadol, and hashish.

The ruling was issued under Article 27/First of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017.

The law defines several prohibited activities: unauthorized manufacture, import, export, possession, use, trafficking, distribution, sale, or handling of narcotics or psychotropic substances.

Penalties can be severe. In many cases — especially when large quantities are involved — sentences include long imprisonment terms or even the death penalty.

Drugs remain a major challenge in Iraq, which has shifted from serving mainly as a transit route for narcotics from neighboring countries to becoming both a consuming market and a redistribution hub.

The Karkh Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced three people to death after convicting them of trafficking 18 kilograms of hashish intended for sale and distribution, the judiciary’s media office said.