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| Iraq |
| U.N. Rights Chief Sounds Alarm over Iraq Executions |
| 2013-04-20 |
| [An Nahar] U.N. human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights,mind you... chief Navi Pillay on Friday slammed a new wave of executions in Iraq, saying the country's justice system was seriously flawed. Pillay issued a sharply-worded statement a day after Iraq put 21 men to death for terrorist offenses, bringing to 50 the number of executions Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... has carried out so far this year, despite widespread calls for a moratorium. "Executing people in batches like this is obscene. It is like processing animals in a slaughterhouse," said Pillay, pointing to reports that a further 150 people could be executed in coming days. "The criminal justice system in Iraq is still not functioning adequately, with numerous convictions based on confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment, a weak judiciary and trial proceedings that fall short of international standards," she said. "The application of the death penalty in these circumstances is unconscionable, as any miscarriage of justice as a result of capital punishment cannot be undone," she added. A total of 1,400 people are believed to be currently on death row in Iraq, and 129 people were executed in 2012 alone, Pillay's office said. Her front man Rupert Colville said it was not clear why the number of executions in Iraq was spiking. "There were years where there were hardly any or no executions, three or four years ago," Colville told news hounds. "Obviously, Iraq is suffering still from many acts of terrorism, many bombs, atrocities continue to take place there, but that doesn't warrant executions on this kind of scale, or executions at all, necessarily," he said. "It's extremely deplorable, and depressing, that this kind of conveyer belt of executions continues," he added. Iraq says that it only executes individuals convicted under its 2005 anti-terrorism law who have committed terrorist acts or other serious crimes against civilians. Pillay said the law was too broad in scope. "I am the first to argue there must never be impunity for serious crimes. But at least if someone is jugged Book 'im, Mahmoud! for life, and it is subsequently discovered there was a miscarriage of justice, he or she can be released and compensated," she added. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Frank, My sentiments exactly. Where was this impotent clown when the Iranians were killing Iraqis by the thousands with their car bombs and support for AQI? Where was this idiot when they tried the chemical attack in Amman, potentially killing thousands in and around the Hyatt? Amazing, the jihadis blow up crowds, kidnap, rape and murder tourists, and plot to kill thousands of people indiscriminately and the UN sits on their hands, but if someone gives the jihadis the consequences of their irrational behavior, the tut tutting and the concerns start. And of course, we have Amnesty International that would say a word when when a terrorist kills dozens in a pizza parlor gasping in mock indignation when the US sticks a guys head in a bucket of water to get some information. Screw them all. Bring back the enhanced interrogations and lets get on with it. We are, as Allan West says in a war of cultures and a religious war. Islam has declared war on the rest of the world and we have to make a response. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2013-04-20 11:35 |
| #1 hey, Navi, why don't you issue these statements while walking in Baghdad? Spend some time in the streets, walk with the common fodder, ditch the armored limo and security? Or, you could just STFU, while they remove the tumors |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-04-20 09:55 |