The suspects were sentenced by Baghdad’s Karkh criminal court for “publishing posts on social media and hanging posters on walls glorifying the former regime,” according to a statement from the Iraqi judiciary.
The Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party ruled Iraq from 1968 until 2003 when a United States-led invasion toppled its leader Hussein. The party is now banned in Iraq and Article 7 of the constitution prohibits adopting, glorifying or promoting symbols and propaganda of the former regime.
The Iraqi National Security Service in late December announced that ten people in Kirkuk were sentenced to five years in prison each for glorifying the fallen regime.
Hussein and his regime committed numerous crimes against humanity, including the Anfal genocide campaign against the Kurds, which reached its peak in 1988 with the Halabja chemical attack, which instantly killed 5,000 people and injured 10,000.
Hussein was executed before his trial for the Anfal crimes was concluded. He had been sentenced to death in an earlier trial for the killing of 148 Shiites. He was hanged on December 30, 2006.
