Ammar al-Saffar

Who is Ammar al-Saffar?

Ammar al-Saffar was the Deputy Health Minister of Iraq. On November 19, 2006, he became the highest-ranking Iraqi official to be kidnapped when he was seized by men in police uniforms.

A member of the Dawa Party, Saffar lived in exile in Britain until he returned to his home country following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In February 2007, another Deputy Health Minister, Hakim al-Zamili, and General Hamid al-Shammari, were both arrested on suspicion they had played a role in Saffar and others' kidnappings. However, the charges were dropped in March 2008. As of 2008, Saffar remains missing.