Note from the Author

The brutal murder of Ziad Tariq Khawaf in Samarra is a horrifying illustration of how militias have seized control of Iraq, turning entire communities into killing fields. A man disappeared between security checkpoints, only to be found tortured, burned, and mutilated — all while checkpoints were under the control of Shia-aligned militias operating with impunity. This is not an isolated atrocity; it is the inevitable result of a state dominated by armed sectarian groups, where law enforcement is fragmented, politicized, and powerless to protect civilians.

This crime lays bare the deadly consequences of militia influence and foreign-backed sectarian power. Ordinary Iraqis cannot trust the government, cannot walk safely through their own towns, and cannot expect justice when armed factions answer to ideology and patronage instead of law. The state has failed entirely, leaving citizens to live under fear, terror, and unchecked violence.

Article:

The victim, identified as Ziad Tariq Khawaf, disappeared on April 7 while moving between two security checkpoints on the outskirts of Samarra, a city in Salahuddin province that has been tense and divided between rival armed groups. His family later learned he went missing in an area where one of the checkpoints is controlled by the Shia-aligned militia Saraya al-Salam, linked to the Sadr movement.

Three agonizing days later, law enforcement found Khawaf’s body — severely disfigured and desecrated. Reports from police and family members describe wounds so shocking that they have stirred outrage across communities:

• His face was burned with what appeared to be a corrosive substance, likely acid.

• His nose and ears had been cut off.

• Multiple bullet wounds and clear signs of torture were evident.

Prominent figures from the Sunni community have called for a transparent and independent investigation. Sheikh Ali al-Jubouri, a tribal leader in Salahuddin, described the incident as a symptom of severe security breakdown and lawlessness, and blamed not only armed groups but also a fragmented security apparatus unable to protect civilians.

Many residents in Samarra and across Iraq remain sceptical, pointing to years of militia influence, impunity and weak law enforcement as factors that allow such atrocities to occur with little accountability.

The brutality of Khawaf’s death - mutilation, burning and execution-style violence — has left a community grieving not only a life lost, but the terrifying sense that no one is truly safe from sectarian animosity and violence in parts of Iraq today.