Iraq forms committee to address UN report on executions, 29 JUNE

Iraq forms committee to address UN report on executions

Shafaq News/ Iraq's government said on Friday it has formed a committee to respond to a United Nations human rights report on the country's use of the death penalty.

"The Iraqi government has reviewed the report of the UN human rights commissioner and is committed to upholding human rights principles," said Iraqi government spokesman Basem al-Awwadi. "The committee will clarify all aspects related to the information in the report and ensure transparency in legal procedures."

The committee will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Prime Minister's office, the Foreign Ministry, and the judiciary, including a member from the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee in an observer role.

In April, Amnesty International said at least 13 men were put to death on 22 April in Nasiriyah Central Prison, in the southern governorate of Dhi Qar, following their conviction on overly broad and vague terrorism charges.

Out of the men executed on 22 April, 11 were convicted based on their affiliation to the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) armed group.

Nasiriyah prison is the only prison in Iraq that carries out executions. Commonly referred to as "al-Hout" or "the whale" by Iraqis for "swallowing people up and never spitting them out," according to HRW, it has carried out mass executions in the past. In 2017, 41 and 38 people respectively were executed less than three months apart. Currently, 8,000 prisoners are reported to be on death row in Iraq, with the majority facing terrorism charges.