Saddam: EU against Death Penalty

EU against death penalty for Saddam

Newly released photo in Chalabi's Newspaper: Saddam Hussein as he meets with Ahmad Chalabi, left.

EU Business -17 December 2003

The European Union is opposed "by principle" to the death penalty for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a spokesman for the European Commission said Wednesday.

"The position of the European Union against capital punishment is very clear," said Diego Ojeda, a spokesman for EU external relations commissioner Chris Patten.

"It's a position of principle, whatever the circumstances, the gravity of the crimes committed," said the spokesman for the commission, the EU's executive branch.

Against death penalty is Britain’s Foreign Office, German Government and their Opposition, Spain's Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino, but also Australian's Prime Minister Howard, who "would support the death penalty if it was the wish of the Iraqi people" and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who said "it was too early to be discussing punishment".

Reuters Alertnet -17 Dec 2003

Here is a list of countries who may wish to be part of a future trial of Saddam, who was captured on Saturday.

IRAN - Iran has said that it is preparing a criminal complaint to present at any international court that might try Saddam over the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, in which about 300,000 Iranians were killed, many in chemical weapons attacks.

IRAQ - Iraq's Governing Council said that charges against him could focus on the campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s, the use of chemical weapons on Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians, the suppression of the Kurdish and Shi'ite uprisings in 1991, the punishment of the Marsh Arabs and the forced expulsions of ethnic minorities in the north.

ISRAEL - Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Israel wanted Saddam to stand trial for missile attacks in 1991 and for funding Palestinian suicide bombers. "I think it would be correct for Israel to be involved in legal proceedings".

KUWAIT - Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said the foreign and justice ministries and other agencies have been instructed "to prepare a complete file on the crimes committed by Saddam against Kuwait and its people".

LEBANON - Shi'ite Muslim cleric Sheikh Afif al-Nabulsi said in a statement that Lebanese clerics who were harmed by Saddam's crimes have decided to file a lawsuit against him and demand the fate of missing Lebanese clerics and other people be revealed.

UNITED STATES - A senior State Department official said that the United States reserved the right to bring charges against Saddam. The official declined to say whether the United States might seek to prosecute Saddam for the 1993 Iraqi assassination attempt against former U.S. President George Bush.

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printed from Saddam: EU against Death Penalty on 2004-03-23 20:07:43