Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept 11 /Trend R.Hafizoglu/
Former Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi can stay in Turkey as long as he wishes, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, TRT Haber reported on Tuesday,
On Sunday an Iraqi court sentenced the former vice president Tariq al-Hashimi to death by hanging in absentia. He is accused of more than 300 crimes, Reuters reported.
Tariq al-Hashemi, an influential Sunni politician was accused by Prime Minister of Iraq, Shiite Nouri al-Maliki of terrorist activities and in particular bombings, kidnappings and assassinations of senior officials, military officers, judges and doctors in December 2011, RIA Novosti reported.
Al-Hashimi left Baghdad in December 2011, and 'was a guest' of the president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, in Iraqi Kurdistan. As reported in May of this year, al-Hashemi, who is wanted by Interpol, is in Turkey now.
Former Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi said the decision of the Iraqi court which sentenced him in absentia to death is based on political motives and an Iraqi court deprived him of the right to a defence.
Al-Hashimi said, Iraq is going through a most difficult political period and there is no democracy in the country.