IRAQ: Rights groups condemn executions

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

BAGHDAD, 5 Sep 2005 (IRIN) - Human rights organisations have condemned the execution of three men, convicted of murder in Iraq, saying that it was a brutal decision.

Amnesty International strongly deplored the hangings of the three men and described the executions as "a deeply retrograde step" in the progress of democracy in Iraq.

"We deeply condemn the abuse of human rights by armed groups in Iraq, however the use of death penalty is a cruel and inhumane way to punish a crime with another crime,” said Nicole Choueiry, the Middle East spokesperson for Amnesty International.

“Surely there are other methods to confront the insecurity in Iraq.”

The Iraqi government on 1 September executed the three men in the city of Kut, 170km southeast of the capital. The hangmen followed the procedures of the old British colonial rule which causes the neck to snap and produces a quick death.

"We call the Iraqi government to reverse this law and prevent more executions," Choueiry added.

European governments, international human rights groups and the United Nations had hoped the death penalty would be outlawed in Iraq after it was taken out following the US invasion in 2003, but were surprised by the transitional Iraqi government’s decision to reinstate it in 2004.

"The EU is of the view that the death penalty does not serve as an effective deterrent and any miscarriage of justice, which might arise in any legal system, would be irreversible. The EU therefore regrets that the government of Iraq has elected to implement the death penalty in these cases," the EU presidency said in a statement.

The Ministry of Human Rights added that the use of the death penalty was the wrong.

"Just showing the people that the government can kill someone is not going to result in control over the security situation,” said Ahmed Subhi, a senior official in the Ministry of Human Rights said. “There are better and more practical ways to prevent more crimes in the country.”

Many Iraqis have questioned whether the country’s judicial system, which lacks transparency, is capable of determining guilt or innocence beyond enough reasonable doubt to allow the use of the death penalty.

The government has countered the death penalty is the best way to confront the country’s serious security issues and halt the steadily rising crime rate.

"We understand that it is a strong decision for a new democratic country and can cause differences between the people, but we have to show that the criminals have gone too far," said Leith Kubba, spokesman for the Iraq government.

Kubba explained that the men were hanged after being convicted of killing three police officers, kidnapping adults and children and raping women. The executions were the first in the country since the fail of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

Kubba also added that there are another nine cases of people who had received the death penalty but without a set date for their executions.

[ENDS]