Iraq’s Secession Court passes 168 death sentences

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Chairman of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Legislative Council, Judge Midhat al-Mahmoud, has announced on Monday that Iraq’s Court of Secession had passed 168 death sentences, whilst the criminal cases had reached 9,369 cases.   “The Federal Court of Secession has passed 168 death sentences, some of which were opposed and it is expected that the court would end all the cases of death sentences by August next,” Judge al-Mahmoud told a news conference.   He said that the number of criminal cases, presented on the Court of Secession, had reached 6,369 cases, that are less than death sentences, such as life-imprisonment, out of which 96% had been implemented.   “The middle of this year had witnessed the issuance of 119 death sentences, that were sent to the Iraqi Presidency for ratification this year, out of which only 3 decrees were issued to ratify the sentences, whilst 2010 had witnessed the issuance of 96 Presidential decrees out of 283 death sentences, for which the Ministry of Justice is carrying out the executions,” Judge al-Mahmoud said.   In conclusion, he said that “the Attorney General’s Body had passed 4,693 cases, raising them to the Court of Secession,” stressing that the Judicial Authority had “established a list of statements, including the names of defendants and crimes they were accused of, covering 135,396 cases by the end of June last.”   SKH (TR)/SR 632