Iraq says suspects arrested for murder of academic Hashemi By AFP - Jul 18,2021 - Last updated at Jul 18,2021 An Iraqi man recites verses from the Koran next to a poster of Iraqi expert Hisham Al Hashemi in July 2020 (AFP photo) BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Premier Mustafa Al Kadhemi announced on Friday that suspects have been arrested for the murder last year of academic Hisham Al Hashemi, one of dozens of unpunished hits the country has suffered in recent years. A specialist on Sunni extremism and a government adviser with a vast network of contacts among top decision makers, Hashemi was shot dead outside his Baghdad home in early July last year by gunmen on motorcycles.