Shakir Mahmoud Shakir, 38, an Iraqi citizen who was sentenced to four years in prison at the end of last year for raping a 100-year-old woman, has now been released by the Svea Court of Appeal. The decision was made after the final day of the hearing last Thursday and may indicate that the court is considering acquitting him of the rape charge.
It was in mid-December last year that Shakir Mahmoud Shakir, an Iraqi citizen, was convicted in the Södertörn District Court for the rape of a 100-year-old woman in October 2025. The assault is said to have taken place in the woman’s home during a home care visit, where Shakir had gone after the woman alerted staff about chest pains.
Under the pretext that he needed to “apply ointment,” according to the woman, he is alleged to have inserted some object into her genitals.
– So I said: “Now you have to stop, otherwise…” I couldn’t hit him, because he’s too strong for that. He’s small, but stocky, the woman says in the police interrogation.
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After the assault, the woman told her daughter, who then alerted the police. The Iraqi home care worker was already known to the police from previous convictions, including document forgery, impersonation of public office, minor drug offenses, and drunk driving.
About a week after the police report from the 100-year-old woman, another report was filed against Shakir Mahmoud Shakir, this time from a 94-year-old woman. She also identified him as the perpetrator during a home care visit.
Shakir Mahmoud Shakir was detained in absentia, arrested, and held in custody on suspicion of rape and aggravated rape. He denies all accusations.
Södertörn District Court considered the 100-year-old woman’s account to be highly credible and sentenced Shakir Mahmoud Shakir to four years in prison for the rape.
The district court further stated that the woman’s “statements have strong evidential value and are supported by the investigation presented by the prosecutor. Through the prosecutor’s evidence, it is established that Shakir Mahmoud Shakir inserted his fingers or objects into her genitals.”
However, he was acquitted of the aggravated rape of the 94-year-old woman. The court concluded that although there was evidence that an assault had occurred, ambiguities regarding the timing and whether the perpetrator was correctly identified led to his acquittal in that case.
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Despite the prison sentence, Shakir Mahmoud Shakir escaped deportation, as he had lived in Sweden since he was 16 years old and has a six-year-old daughter whom he sometimes sees.
“The conditions for deportation due to crime have, to be sure, been expanded, but a deportation would in this particular case be disproportionate,” the court reasoned.
Lawyer: “Long-awaited decision”
Recently, the case reached the Svea Court of Appeal, which on Thursday decided to release the Iraqi man pending the verdict, which will be announced at the end of the month.
According to his lawyer, the release suggests the appeals court may have reached a different assessment than the district court. This could mean a significantly lighter sentence or full acquittal.
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“It is true that my client has been released. It is, of course, a long-awaited decision after several months of wrongful detention,” writes defense attorney Josefina Stahre in a text message to Aftonbladet.
Mahmoud Shakir came to Sweden in 2003 as a family reunification immigrant with his mother. He has permanent residency but is not a Swedish citizen and has never independently applied for international protection, according to the Swedish Migration Agency. This means there are no obstacles to possible deportation.
The Svea Court of Appeal will hand down its verdict on March 26.
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