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Stop further hanging, Iraq told

Atul Aneja

DUBAI: Faced with an international outcry against the manner in which the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein was executed, the Iraqi government is under pressure to suspend the hangings of his two co-defendants.

On Monday, the New York-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, said in a statement, "The execution of these two, however heinous the crimes involved, is cruel and inhuman punishment that will only drag a deeply flawed process into even greater disrepute."

Powerful Shia groups signalled that the Iraqi government was unlikely to relent. Head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) Abdulaziz Al Hakim demanded "the Government [should] accelerate the carrying out of the execution of those criminals who have been sentenced."

The SCIRI, known for its links with Iran, is the main Shia party supporting the Government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.

Charges dropped

The Iraqi High Tribunal has dropped charges against Saddam for the killings of Kurds during the "Anfal campaign" in the eighties. Nearly 1,00,000 people allegedly died during this campaign, which took place in the heat of the Iran-Iraq war. Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi Al-Khalifa said the court had decided to stop all legal proceedings against the former President, since "the death of defendant Saddam was confirmed."

The six defendants in the case include Ali Hassan Al-Majid, known for his alleged use of chemical weapons against the Kurds. There has been no let up in sectarian violence in Iraq.

Nine Shia workers were gunned down on Monday while they were travelling by bus towards Baghdad airport.

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