Najaf court sentences drug trafficking convict to death

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A criminal court in Najaf has sentenced a defendant to death after convicting him of drug trafficking and attempting to smuggle 2 kilograms of crystal narcotics into the city, a judicial source said. The Najaf Criminal Court found the defendant guilty under Article 27 of Law No. 50 of 2017 on Combating Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances. The verdict, announced on Wednesday, was handed down by hanging, according to the source, who added that the judicial proceedings in the case have been completed. The trial was conducted as part of broader proceedings targeting drug smuggling cases in the province. The judicial source noted that legal avenues for appealing the ruling remain open to the defendant. No further details about the defendant or the case were immediately available.