Murdered aid worker's family fear retrial

THE family of murdered aid worker Margaret Hassan have voiced fears that the only person jailed for her killing could walk free after a retrial today.

Mrs Hassan, 59, the director of humanitarian group Care International in Iraq, was taken hostage on her way to work in Baghdad in October 2004 and shot dead just under a month later. Last November Ali Lutfi Jassar, convicted for his part in her abduction and murder, was granted the right to seek a retrial.

Mrs Hassan's family fear he could now have his sentence cut or even be released.

The aid worker's sister, Deirdre Manchanda, said: "We want Ali Lutfi Jassar to stay in prison because we are convinced he was definitely part of the kidnap gang because he knew too much to have got it from any other source.

"It's not just justice for Margaret. It's justice for everybody. It's justice for the people of Iraq and it's justice for the British people because she was British.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the forthcoming retrial. We hope that justice is done for this dreadful crime against someone who dedicated her life to helping all Iraqis."