A year after a leading Iraqi expert on armed groups, who advised Iraqi governments and appeared frequently in the media was shot dead in the capital, Baghdad, no arrests have been made yet in the case.
Hisham al-Hashimi was killed near his home in the Ziyouna district on July 7, 2020 by two gunmen riding a motorbike.
Hashimi—widely respected by local and international academics, researchers, and journalists—was primarily focused on the terrorist organizations that at some point tore through his country, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
For international observers of Iraqi affairs, particularly foreign journalists, Hashimi was an invaluable asset, helping to explain the state of the country's complex security affairs.
A year later and despite constant vows from the Iraqi government and prime minister Kadhimi, who was close with Hashimi, no one has been charged in his killing.
Before his killing, Hashimi became vocal against said groups for their alleged involvement in the deadly crackdown on protestors who took to the streets in large numbers across the country in October 2019.
"We vow to his killers that we will pursue them so they are justly punished. We will not allow assassinations to return to Iraq for a single second," a statement by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had said.
While experts have toyed with the various theories surrounding the crime, as well as the potential perpetrators — from Daesh (ISIS) to Iranian-backed Shia militias — the killing has underlined how insecure the war-torn city is even after the defeat of the terrorist group, Daesh.
