Iraqi revolutionary poet Muthaffar al-Nawab passed away on Friday in the United Arab Emirates, at the age of 88. The elderly writer had been suffering with chronic illnesses, and had stopped publishing poetry for many years. Al-Nawab, who was once handed a death sentence for writing highly critical verses against the Baathist regime, is a household name throughout Iraq. While in prison al-Nawab reportedly dug his way to freedom and lived in exile across the Arab world for over 40 years, writing poetry condemning the tyranny of dictators throughout the region. The poet also pioneered writing ve…