Investigation into the death of Ahmed Jabbar Kareem Ali
Evidence, documents and transcripts from oral hearings published as part of the Investigation into the death of Ahmed Jabbar Kareem Ali.
Documents
Details
The first Inspector, Sir George Newman, concluded in Part 1 of his聽report into the death of Mr Ahmed Ali聽that, having been detained by members of the British Forces in Iraq for looting, and while still in their custody, Mr Ali drowned in the Shatt al Basra canal on 8 May 2003. The soldiers had forced Mr Ali into the water and failed to go to his assistance when he floundered, thereby causing his death. He concluded that a further investigation was necessary as there were reasons to believe that Mr Ali鈥檚 drowning could have occurred in a wider context of soldiers soaking looters in water to punish and deter them from looting.
, completed by The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE and published on 24 November 2025, examined the wider circumstances surrounding Mr Ali鈥檚 death, including the cases of other Iraqis who allegedly endured and/or died in similar circumstances. It considered the extent to which any practice of placing looters into water as a deterrent or punishment was known about and/or sanctioned by the military chain of command.
Updates to this page
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The Details section has been updated following completion and publication of Part 2 of the Inspector's report into the death of Mr Ahmed Ali.
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First published.