Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 10 / Trend R.Hafizoglu /
Former Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said that the decision of the Iraqi court which sentenced him to death in absentia is based on political motives, TRT Haber reports on Monday.
Al-Hasheimi said Iraq is now going through the most difficult period in its political life, as there is no democracy in the country.
He added that the Iraqi court deprived him of a right to defend.
On Sunday a Baghdad court sentenced Iraq's vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, to death in absentia on terrorism charges, a judge said, dpa reported.
Al-Hashemi, who left the country before the trial began on May 3, was charged with running a death squad and involvement in the assassination of security officials and a lawyer.
Al-Hashemi, who was Iraq's most senior Sunni Muslim official denied the charges, calling it a political ploy on the part of the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Al-Hashemi first sought refuge in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq in December, after an arrest warrant was issued against him. Later, unconfirmed reports said he went to Turkey then Qatar.
His current whereabouts are unclear.