Iraq jails kidnapper of US journalist for 15 years

An Iraqi court sentenced Amir Rahim Jabbar to 15 years in prison over the kidnapping of US journalist Shelly Kittleson, a judicial source said Monday.

Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on March 31 by Kataeb Hezbollah and held for several days before being released shortly before the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire. Iraqi authorities arrested one member of the group at the time.

A document shared by local media said a criminal court sentenced Jabbar on Sunday under an anti-terrorism law for kidnapping Kittleson. A judicial source verified the document's authenticity to AFP, and a Kataeb Hezbollah source confirmed the ruling against one of its members.

Kittleson, who shared a copy of the ruling on X, said she was “grateful to the Iraqi judiciary”.

Kataeb Hezbollah is one of several pro-Iran armed groups that intervened in support of Tehran during the Middle East war and claimed attacks on US facilities in Iraq and across the region.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government says it is committed to ensuring that pro-Iran armed groups, which Washington designates as terrorist organisations, hand over their weapons to the state. Several groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, have refused to disarm.

Kataeb Hezbollah accused Zaidi earlier this month of “provocative and irresponsible actions”. Kidnappings and attempted abductions, once common in Baghdad, have decreased as Iraq's security situation improved in recent years.