Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq – OWFI: Stop mass executions in Iraq.

Hozan-mahmud001We at the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq are very concerned and dismayed by the wave of executions which are taking place in the so called “new Iraq”.  We have learnt through new reports published by Human Rights Watch, that since the beginning of 2012, Iraq has executed at least 65 prisoners, 51 of them in January, and 14 more on February 8, for various offenses. 

 

Under the former dictator death penalty existed and thousands of people were executed. However the death penalty was suspended in Iraq in 2003 while the country was under occupation by a US-led coalition. Soon after the formation of the government in Iraq it was reinstated in August 2004. Since then hundreds of people have been sentenced to death and scores have been executed.

Also according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reports more than 1,200 people are alleged to have been sentenced to death in Iraq since 2004. Moreover, many of these executions are taking place without proper trials, access to lawyer or fair representations. Therefore the number of prisoners executed during that period has not been revealed publicly. Iraqi law authorizes the death penalty for tens of crimes, including but not limited to terrorism, kidnapping, and murder.

 

This is an indication of escalating crisis in Iraq, and an evidence of the extent to which the US/UK backed tyrants are violating human rights, and suppressing people in an atmosphere of so called “transition to democracy”; the kind of democracy of occupation with “Shock and Awe” doctrine of US and UK war mongers who have created a dire situation for people beyond imagination. We believe if freedom-loving people in Iraq do not stop these mass murderers from daily executions of prisoners, then Iraq will turn into a republic of executions, mass-murder, and brutalities.

 

Therefore we call upon all organisations, parliamentarians, workers, freedom lovers, trade unions to condemn the current waves of executions in Iraq; at the same time to call for abolition of capital punishment as the cruellest method of punishing prisoners.

 

Suppression, executions, prisons, torture are no cure for any crime. In fact it is the entire government system that creates crimes, and criminals as a result of repression, inequality, unemployment, poverty, violence and tyranny.
Houzan Mahmoud
Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, Political spokesperson\ Abroad representative

 

16/02/2012

 

i.  information is based on reports issued by Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/09/iraq-65-executions-first-40-days-2012

ii.  BBC news on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16841945

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