US welcomes conviction of Iranian, 4 Iraqis for killing American citizen
Stephen Troell, an aid worker in Baghdad, was killed in November when gunmen opened fire on his car.
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration welcomed on Thursday night an Iraqi court’s conviction of five individuals for the killing of an American aid worker in Baghdad last year.
Earlier on Thursday, an Iranian man and four Iraqis were sentenced to life in prison for killing Tennessee native Stephen Troell as he was driving his car in Baghdad's central Karrada district last November. Troell’s wife and child were in the car but unharmed.
A judicial source told AFP the five men “confessed” to Troell’s murder, but said they originally intended to kidnap him for ransom. The court did not identify the convicted individuals, but Reuters reports that officials described the four Iraqis as members of Shi’ite militia.
"It is critical that all those responsible for the brutal, premeditated assassination of Mr. Troell face justice and accountability," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "We once again extend our condolences to Mr. Troell’s family and hope this verdict brings them some measure of justice."
