An Iraqi court has passed death sentences on seven drug dealers, including a foreigner.

The Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement, without specifying the nationality of the foreigner, that the Central Criminal Court issued a verdict to execute seven drug dealers, including a foreigner, who were convicted of trafficking narcotic substances.

The council noted that the convicts were sentenced to death for importing and exporting narcotic substances from neighboring countries.

The chaos and conflicts that have engulfed Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003 have impeded Iraqi governments from effectively addressing the threat of drugs.

In May 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani underlined the importance of waging “a war on drugs.

He said that drug dealing remains one of the main ways of financing terrorism, and the circulation of drugs flourishes in the shadow of terrorism.