EspañolThe following press release was distributed to media today:
Legal team continues fight for fairness, transparency, and the rule of law, working with local Iraqi councils and international partners to ensure impartial judicial process.
WASHINGTON DC, March 2, 2025 – The legal team representing Sara Saleem has announced that the motion to recuse Judge Satar Warwar, the presiding judge in her case, was unjustly denied. Despite the ruling, the team is proceeding with an appeal, citing serious concerns over the judge’s conduct, including his refusal to allow the legal team to speak, his inappropriate behavior in laughing with the criminal Hanna brothers, and his denial of the right to question the brothers during their false testimony.
“Our motion to recuse Judge Satar Warwar was based on clear evidence of bias and misconduct. The judge’s refusal to allow our lawyers to speak and his open camaraderie with the criminal Hanna brothers undermines the fairness of these proceedings,” said Robert Amsterdam, founding partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, who forms part of Saleem’s legal team. “Additionally, the judge denied our legal team the opportunity to question the Hanna brothers on their fake testimony, which raises serious doubts about the integrity of the trial. We cannot allow such an unjust process to continue.”
Amsterdam argues, “this whole sham retrial is being orchestrated at the behest of Faiq Zidane, which only adds to the absurdity of this entire process. It is a clear attempt to manipulate the judicial system for personal or political gain, and it is frankly laughable that such a blatant attempt at injustice is taking place. In fact, we have a video where Zidane openly announces an arrest warrant, which directly contradicts official statements from the Iraqi judiciary. The video shows Zidane’s blatant disregard for due process and his attempts to manipulate legal actions for his own purposes.”
Despite the ruling from head of the Rusafah Court of Appeal in Baghdad, Emad Khudair al-Jabri, who denied the motion for recusal, the legal team remains committed to ensuring justice for Sara Saleem. The team is working closely with local Iraqi councils, human rights organizations, and international partners to address these concerns and ensure that the case is handled fairly, free from political influence or bias, and in full accordance with the rule of law.
“We are committed to ensuring that justice is served, not only in Iraq but also through our international efforts. Any individual or entity, including Faiq Zidane, who seeks to harm Mrs. Saleem will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, both locally and internationally,” Amsterdam added. “There is no place for judicial corruption or overstepping of the judiciary in a fair legal system. There are still no clear explanations as to why this retrial is taking place, and it appears that the judge intends to proceed with a trial process similar to that of the Saddam regime, where fairness and transparency were systematically ignored. We will continue to appeal this decision and push for a judicial system that upholds basic human rights, the rule of law, and ensures that no judge or institution oversteps its boundaries.”
The legal team also wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who are voicing their complaints and fighting against this tyranny. “Your voice is loud and clear, and it is heard around the world. We encourage anyone with information on the corruption and unfairness of the Iraqi judiciary to come forward and help us in this fight for justice. Please email us at contact@amsterdamandpartners.com with any information or evidence you may have. Your courage is an essential part of this movement, and together, we will hold those responsible accountable,” said Amsterdam.
The legal team will be issuing a separate press release in coming weeks concerning their work pursuing personally targeted sanctions against Zidane under the Global Magnitsky Act.
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