Najaf butcher sentenced to 10 years for selling pork as beef

An Iraqi court in Najaf has sentenced a butcher to 10 years in prison for selling pork while misrepresenting it as beef. The individual was apprehended with 75 kilograms of pork.

While the consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam, Iraqi law does not explicitly ban its sale. Consequently, the Najaf Criminal Court applied a 1998 law that criminalizes the sale of meat deemed ‘unfit for human consumption,’ including meat from dogs, donkeys, or other improper sources.

The incident occurred in Najaf, a city of significant religious importance for Shiite Muslims that hosts millions of pilgrims annually. The deception was brought to light following social media reports and investigations into the merchant's practices.