Iyad Anwar Wali or Ayad Anwar Wali was a 44-year-old Iraqi Italian businessman, who had lived in Italy for 24 years. His wife is an Italian citizen.
Wali was kidnapped from his office in Baghdad. His brother Emad told CNN the Italian foreign ministry informed his family that Wali had been killed. "He was killed like an animal," Emad Anwar Wali said.
The Wali brothers have long run a furniture company. Ayad Anwar Wali, who had one son, was in Iraq hoping to drum up some new business, his brother said.
Emad Anwar Wali said he was on the phone with his brother when the abduction occurred. "He said, 'There are some people coming, I have to go.'" Hours later, as he called frantically, Emad learned from a friend of his brother that Ayad had been kidnapped and it was reported he was killed on October 2, 2004.