Boys sit next to a mural of Shiite clerics Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr, left, and Mohammad Sadiq al-Sadr, right, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 6, 2013, painted over a portrait of former dictator Saddam Hussein. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, File)2025-01-31T18:57:25Z BAGHDAD (AP) Iraqs National Security Agency said Friday it arrested a former high-level security official for his involvement in the 1980 execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and his sister during Saddam Hussein s brutal crackdown on religious opposition.Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr was a leading Iraqi Shiite cleric and political critic who opposed the secular Baathist government of the former Iraqi president. His opposition intensified following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which heightened Saddams fears of a Shiite-led uprising in Iraq.In 1980, as the government moved against Shiite activists, al-Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda a religious scholar and activist who spoke out against government oppression were arrested. Reports indicate they were tortured before being executed by hanging on April 8, 1980. The government refused to return their bodies, fearing their graves would become rallying points for resistance. Al-Sadrs execution deepened Shiite opposition to Saddam, fueling movements that contributed to the Baathist governments eventual downfall. The primary suspect in al-Sadrs execution, Saadoun Sabri Jamil Jumaa al-Qaisi, was among five people detained five months ago, a security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press. Al-Qaisi held high-ranking positions under Saddam, including director of state security and director of security in the port city of Basra as well as the central city of Najaf. He is accused of overseeing al-Sadrs detention and execution. After the 2003 fall of Saddams government, al-Qaisi fled to Syria, assuming the alias Hajj Saleh to evade prosecution, the security source said. He returned to Iraq on Feb. 26, 2023, and was arrested in Erbil 44 years after the execution.According to the Iraqi National Security Agency, al-Qaisi faces a potential death sentence. A final verdict is expected next week.Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani praised the arrest on X, saying, We reaffirm our commitment to tracking down criminals, no matter how long they have been on the run.