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UN criticizes Iraq's execution of 34 people in one day

Arab World Materials 25 January 2012 00:15 (UTC +04:00)
The highest human rights official at the United Nations said Tuesday she was shocked by Iraq's execution rate - including 34 people one a single day last week - voicing concern about the fairness of the country's judicial system.
UN criticizes Iraq's execution of 34 people in one day

The highest human rights official at the United Nations said Tuesday she was shocked by Iraq's execution rate - including 34 people one a single day last week - voicing concern about the fairness of the country's judicial system, DPA reported.

"Even if the most scrupulous fair trial standards were observed, this would be a terrifying number of executions to take place in a single day on January 19," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement.

"Given the lack of transparency in court proceedings, major concerns about due process and fairness of trials, and the very wide range of offences for which the death penalty can be imposed in Iraq, it is a truly shocking figure," Pillay said.

The UN said in a report that the total number of individuals sentenced to death in Iraq since 2004 is believed to stand at more than 1,200. It added that the death penalty can be imposed in Iraq for around 48 crimes, including non-fatal offences such as - under certain circumstances - damage to public property.

"I call on the Government of Iraq to implement an immediate moratorium on the institution of the death penalty," Pillay said.

Around 150 countries have now either abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, or introduced a moratorium, the UN said.

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