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

[Rick Halperin]

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA


Note: Please write on behalf of these persons even though
you may not have received the original UA when issued
on June 25, 2007. Thanks!

5 September 2007
Further Information on UA 160/07 (25 June 2007) - Death Penalty

IRAQ            'Ali Hassan al-Majid (m)
                Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Ta'i (m)
                Hussain Rashid al-Tikriti (m)

The three men named above, who were sentenced to death on 24
June, had their appeals rejected by the Supreme Iraqi
Criminal Tribunal (SICT) on 4 September. They face execution
within 30 days of this ruling. They cannot now be pardoned
by the President, who has the power of clemency for
prisoners condemned by other courts.

The three, all senior officials under the government of
Saddam Hussain, were sentenced to death by the SICT in
Baghdad on 24 June, for their roles in the so-called Anfal
campaign of 1988 in which some 180,000 Iraqi Kurds died.
Their trial began in August 2006. Proceedings before the
SICT are invariably unfair, with reported interference from
Iraqi politicians, and lawyers not being allowed to cross-
examine prosecution witnesses, many of whom give evidence
without revealing their true identity for fear of reprisals
from insurgents.

'Ali Hassan al-Majid, who was the Ba'ath Party commander of
the northern region, former defense minister Sultan Hashim
Ahmad al-Ta'I and former deputy chief of military operations
Hussain Rashid al-Tikriti were all convicted of genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Appeals Chamber also rejected the appeals lodged by
former military intelligence chief Sabir al-Duri and former
intelligence chief of the northern region Farhan Mutlaq al-
Jiburi. However, it approved the earlier acquittal of the
former governor of Nineveh (Mosul) province, Tahir Tawfiq
al-'Ani.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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 unfair trials. Under Iraqi law those sentenced to
death can seek pardon from the President. However, those
sentenced to death by the SICT cannot do so. The SICT was
established to bring to justice former officials suspected
of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- expressing concern that 'Ali Hassan al-Majid, Sultan
Hashim Ahmad al-Ta'i and Hussain Rashid al-Tikriti had their
appeals rejected on 4 September and now face execution
within 30 days;
- recognizing the right of governments to bring to justice
those responsible for serious crimes but insisting that the
death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the
ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment;
-calling on the authorities to commute all death sentences,
including those handed down to Ali Hassan al-Majid, Sultan
Hashim Ahmad al-Ta'i and Hussain Rashid al-Tikriti, and take
steps to abolish the death penalty in law and practice;
-urging them to ensure that all trials before the SICT are
fair, and that the court will no longer have recourse to the
death penalty.


APPEALS TO:
Email addresses for the Iraqi authorities are proving
unreliable. If there is no email address given, or if your
email bounces, please send appeals to the authorities via
the Iraqi embassy asking them to forward your appeals to:

President:
Jalal Talabani
Salutation:     Your Excellency

Prime Minister:
Nuri Kamil al-Maliki
Salutation:     Your Excellency

Minister of Justice:
Hashim al-Shibli
E-mail: 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 them to send copies to the Human Rights Minister, Wajdan
Mikhail.

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


PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the AIUSA Urgent
Action office if sending appeals after 17 October 2007.

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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