Hadi al-Mahdi

Freelance

September 8, 2011, in Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Mahdi, 45, a journalist, filmmaker, and playwright, was shot in his Baghdad home by assailants using pistols outfitted with silencers.

Al-Mahdi had hosted a thrice-weekly radio show, "To Whomever Listens," on independent Radio Demozy. The show covered social and political issues, including government corruption, bribery, and sectarianism. A Shiite, al-Mahdi had defended the rights of Sunnis.

On his Facebook page, al-Mahdi organized regular pro-democracy demonstrations and publicized threats he said he had received. Growing fearful for his safety, al-Mahdi had stepped down from the radio show about two months prior to his death, news reports said.

Al-Mahdi had spent 18 years in exile, returning to Iraq in 2008. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Medium: Radio

Job: Broadcast Reporter

Beats Covered: Corruption, Politics

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: Yes

Type of Death: Murder

Suspected Source of Fire: Unknown Fire

Impunity: Yes

Threatened: Yes

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• Iraqi journalist shot dead in Baghdad, September 9, 2011