On January 7, 2020, a Baghdad court issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump as part of its investigation into the killing of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). Al-Muhandis was killed on January 3, 2020, in the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
The court for east Baghdad issued the warrant for Trump's arrest under Article 406 of the penal code, which provides for the death penalty in all cases of premeditated murder.[1]
The court stated that "the warrant was issued after the judge recorded the statements of the personal claimants from the family of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis."
The following is a translation of the court statement:
After the competent judge in the Rusafa [east Baghdad] Investigation Court, who is in charge of investigating the assassination of the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Units, martyr Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, as well as his companions, recorded the statements of the claimants for personal right from among his family members on the morning of January 7, 2021, and after completion of the preliminary investigation procedures, the judge has decided to issue an arrest warrant against the outgoing president of the United States, the American Donald Trump, in accordance with the provisions of Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code in force. The investigation will continue in order to identify the other participants in perpetrating this crime, whether they are Iraqi nationals or foreigners.[2]
