[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

URGENT ACTION APPEAL

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04 January 2007
UA 02/07
Imminent execution/ possible death sentence

IRAQ
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti (m)
'Awad Hamad al-Bandar al-Sa'dun (m)
Taha Yassin Ramadhan (m)

The three men named above are all at risk of imminent
execution. The first two, who were sentenced to death
on 5 November after an unfair trial, could be executed
as early as 7 January. Former vice-president Taha
Yassin Ramadhan, though sentenced to life
imprisonment, is now likely to be sentenced to death.

Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti is Saddam Hussain's
half-brother, and was the head of the Iraqi
Intelligence Service, the Mukhabarat. 'Awad Hamad
al-Bandar al-Sa'dun was the head of the Revolutionary
Court. They were sentenced to death along with former
president Saddam Hussain, after an unfair trial before
the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT), in
connection with the killing of 148 people from the
village of al-Dujail, north of Baghdad, after a failed
attempt to assassinate Saddam Hussain in 1982. Four
other defendants in the case, including Taha Yassin
Ramadhan, received prison terms and another was
acquitted.

The three men sentenced to death had their appeals
rejected by the SICT's Appeals Chamber on 26 December
2006, and by law the sentences must be carried out
within 30 days. Saddam Hussain was executed by hanging
on 30 December.

Taha Yassin Ramadhan is also at risk of execution. On
26 December 2006 the Appeals Chamber referred his case
back to the court requesting a higher sentence,
suggesting that he is now at risk of being sentenced
to death and executed.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Amnesty International welcomed the decision to bring
Saddam Hussain to justice for the human rights
violations committed by his government, but this
should have been through a fair trial process and
without recourse to the death penalty. In the event,
the trial, which opened in October 2005 in Baghdad,
was unfair. It was marked by political interference
and was widely criticized for failing to satisfy
international standards for fair trial. No adequate
measures were taken to ensure the protection of
witnesses and defense lawyers, three of whom were
assassinated during the course of the trial. Amnesty
International raised its concerns about the trial of
Saddam Hussain and others before the SICT on several
occasions.

Since the reintroduction of the death penalty in Iraq
in August 2004, scores of people have been sentenced
to death and there has been a rapid rise in the number
of executions, with at least 65 people put to death in
2006 alone, many of them after trials which may have
been unfair.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as
quickly as possible:

- expressing concern that Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti
and 'Awad Hamad al-Bandar al-Sa'dun are facing
imminent execution;

- expressing concern that the Appeals Chamber has
rejected Taha Yassin Ramadhan's sentence of life
imprisonment and apparently requested that he be
sentenced to death;

- expressing concern that the trial of Barzan Ibrahim
al-Tikriti, Taha Yassin Ramadhan and 'Awad Hamad
al-Bandar al-Sa'dun before the Supreme Iraqi Criminal
Tribunal failed to meet international fair trial
standards;

- recognizing the right of governments to bring to
justice those responsible for serious crimes but
insisting that this be done through fair trial and
without resort to the death penalty;

- expressing opposition to the death penalty on the
grounds that it is a violation of the right to life
and the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading
punishment;

- calling on the authorities to commute these and all
other death sentences and take steps to abolish the
death penalty in law and practice.

APPEALS TO: fax numbers and e-mail addresses for the
Iraqi authorities are not available. Please send
appeals via the Iraqi embassy at:

His Excellency Samir Sumaida'ie
Ambassador to the United States
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq
1801 P Street
Washington DC 20036
email: amboffice at iraqiembassy.org
fax: 1 202 462 5066
phone: 1 202 483 7500

Ask the Ambassador to forward your appeals to:

President Jalal Talabani
Salutation: Your Excellency

Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki
E-mail: iraqigov at yahoo.com
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Justice Hashim al-Shibli
E-mail: minister at iraqi-justice.org
        head-minister at iraqi-justice.org
        deputy at iraqi-justice.org
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari
E-mail: press at iraqmofa.net
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Ask the Iraqi embassy to send copies to the Human
Rights Minister, Wajdan Mikhail.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots
movement that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact,
including contact information and stop action date (if
applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan at aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566

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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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