Tareq Aziz’s execution penalty not received by his lawyer

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The death penalty decision against Iraq‘s former Deputy Prime Minister, Tareq Aziz, was not received by his lawyer, according to a statement by the latter on Wednesday. “Non-receipt of Tareq Aziz‘s death penalty decision is considered a legal violation. This means that his defense’s chance to apply for an appeal against the decision had lost its validity due to the ending of the one-month legal period that followed the date of the court’s decision, which falls tomorrow (Thursday),” Defense Lawyer, Badi’e Arif, who represents the former Deputy Iraqi Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Tareq Aziz, told the Jordanian al-Dustour Newspaper. Arif said neither he nor any other lawyer will be able to prepare the appeal against the court decision, even if they receive the court decision now, as the time limit to present the appeal has finished. Baghdad’s High Criminal Court had issued a decision for death penalty against officials of the former Baath regime, Tareq Aziz, Saadoun Shaker and Abed Hamid Hamoud, in the case of having shared in the former regime’s “liquidation of the religious parties.” Arif said that the health condition of Tareq Aziz was “very bad, because he suffers from several diseases, apart from his psychological condition, hence all decisions taken against him were null and void, according to the law.” Iraq‘s President Jalal Talabani had stated to the (French 24) Satellite TV Channel that he won’t sign the execution decision against Tareq Aziz, because he (Talabani) is the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist International, which opposes executions.” SKH/SR 1