An Iraqi court has sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for having participated in the kidnapping of American reporter Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad, a kidnapping attributed to the pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah, which released her last April.
Kittleson has shared on her social media the judicial resolution, which specifies that Amir Rahim Jabar Lazim has been sentenced under Iraq's 2005 anti-terrorism law, although the document does not clarify exactly what his degree of involvement in the kidnapping was.
"The time he has spent in preventive detention from April 1, 2026, to August 29, 2026, will be counted towards his sentence for the crime of kidnapping the complainant on March 31, 2026, in the Al Sadun area," the text states.
The journalist has expressed her gratitude towards the Iraqi judicial system and towards all the people who contributed to her rescue "alive." "Of course, also to those who love Iraq as much as I do and are trying to build a better future for the country," she added.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced in April the release of the reporter, an expert in the Middle East and Afghanistan and a contributor to outlets such as Al Monitor, Politico, or New Lines Magazine.