Iraq has executed a former senior security official from Saddam Hussein’s regime for his role in the 1980 execution of prominent Shia cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, the government announced on Monday. The National Security Service said Saadoun Sabri al-Qaisi, a former major general under Saddam, was convicted of grave crimes against humanity, including the kil-lings of al-Sadr, members of the al-Hakim family, and other civilians. Authorities did not specify when the execution took place.

Al-Sadr, a leading critic of the Baathist regime, was arrested in 1980 along with his sister, Bint al-Huda, a revered scholar and activist, after publicly condemning the repression of Shia activists. Both were tortured during detention before being executed by firing squad on April 8, 1980. Their deaths triggered widespread outrage and became a lasting symbol of repression under Saddam’s rule.

Since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi authorities have prosecuted former regime officials accused of crimes against humanity and abuses against political and religious opponents. The execution of al-Qaisi marks another step in those post-2003 accountability efforts.