Every Friday in Iraq, a gripping show on state television beams the alleged confessions of death-row jihadists into homes around the country. At peak viewing time, it broadcasts gruesome images of their purported crimes before interviewing the convicts, who appear clad in orange or yellow jumpsuits
‘In the grip of law’
Iraq has detained thousands of suspected members of the Islamic State, known for the execution of detainees in orange jumpsuits. Once a week, the show titled “In the grip of the law” escorts convicted jihadists back to the scene of their crime under heavy security
By spotlighting IS atrocities, the show aims to stamp out any remaining support for the jihadist group’s ideology, its presenter says. “I get tipped off by the interior ministry, the defence ministry or national security, who captured them,” Ahmad Hassan was quoted as saying by AFP
Re-enacting a massacre in Iraq
Dressed in a beige suit and brown tie, on a set meant to evoke a detective agency, Hassan starts his show each week with shocking images. One episode opens with a photo of dozens of Sunni tribesmen lying in a pool of their own blood, after their 2014 execution by IS in the town of Heet, northwest of Baghdad
It then introduces Mithaq Hamid Hekmet, 41, one of those condemned over the massacre, who recounts the killings in chilling detail—even citing the names of others who took part. On the show’s set, a mahogany desk, stacks of papers, maps of Baghdad and mugshots of the day’s convict seek to create an intriguing atmosphere to draw in viewers
On death row
Hassan says all of his interviewees have been found guilty and sentenced—most to death, but some to lengthy prison terms. Human rights groups have criticised the programme for showing death-row inmates on television before their execution. But Hassan says the interviews comply with human rights laws. “We don’t pressure anyone. But we’re in a situation of war and it’s best to focus on the rights of victims, rather than those of the terrorists”