“The Ministry of Justice, today Monday, announced the execution of 13 convicts following the completion of legal measures. There were 11 convicts of terrorist crimes, including car bombing, assassination of security members or kidnappings,” the ministry announced.
This is the latest execution announcement in Iraq where many convicted members of ISIS have been handed death sentences in recent months.
In February, a criminal court sentenced 15 Turkish women to death after finding them guilty of membership in ISIS.
In the southern city of Nasiriyah 38 prisoners convicted of affiliation with ISIS were executed in December and 42 in September.
Human rights monitors have criticized the use of the death penalty and voiced concerns that due process has been followed in the cases.
“Under international law, the death penalty may only be imposed after a strict set of substantive and procedural requirements have been met,” Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said responding to the execution of 42 prisoners in one day in September.
Saying it was “extremely doubtful” that all the trials had been fair and followed due process, Hussein added, “In such circumstances, there is a clear risk of a gross miscarriage of justice.”
Baghdad has dismissed the international criticism. The Iraqi Ministry of Justice vowed that it is “moving forward with implementing the sentences,” regardless of external pressure.
Iraq is among the countries that carried out the most executions in 2017, coming fourth after China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty International.
