Escaped murderer of UK aid worker on run for 11 months, admits Iraq

An IRAQI convicted of the 2004 murder of British aid worker Hassan escaped from prison almost a year ago and has disappeared, an Iraqi justice official said yesterday.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Aug 2010, 15:57 BST
Updated 23rd Aug 2010, 01:10 BST

Ali Lutfi Jassar al-Rawi was sentenced in June last year for the murder of CARE International's director in Iraq, whose kidnapping in the chaotic and violent aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion led to protests demanding her release. Rawi was sentenced to life in prison and his lawyer appealed.

But the Iraqi prison authorities have been unable to find the defendant to bring him to court and his retrial has been repeatedly postponed as a result.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Deputy justice minister Busho Ibrahim said: "Rawi's disappearance was confirmed 20 days ago. We discovered that he had escaped from Abu Ghraib prison on 9 September. 2009."

The latest date for the retrial to start had been yesterday, but Abdul Sattar Birqdar, the spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council, said the session had now been pushed back until 19 September.

"The court may adjourn the trail again and again until they reach a point at which they decide it is impossible to bring him before the court," said Ramzi Mohammed, a lawyer for Mrs Hassan's Iraqi husband.

Dublin-born Mrs Hassan had joint British, Iraqi and Irish nationality. She was married to an Iraqi and had lived in the country for 30 years.