BAGHDAD, January
4,-- Iraq postponed hanging two of Saddam Hussein's
henchmen amid international pressure following the
ousted dictator's bungled and much criticised
hanging.
Meanwhile, two justice ministry guards are being
held for questioning in connection with the secret
filming of Saddam's final moments.
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Saddam's half brother and
former intelligence chief and Awad Ahmed al-Bandar,
the head of the revolutionary court, were to have
been hanged on Thursday after the end of the Eid al-Adha
holiday.
But a senior official from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's
office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
execution was postponed "due to international
pressure."
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Barzan al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's half-brother and
former Iraqi intelligence chief |
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Baha al-Araji, an influential Shiite lawmaker from
radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc,
said: "I am sure it will be done on Sunday."
On Wednesday, UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was
opposed to the death penalty.
"The Secretary General strongly believes in the
wisdom of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights which states everyone has the right to
life, liberty and security of person," she said.
"He fully endorses the call made today by (UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights) Louise Arbour for
restraint by the government of Iraq in the execution
of the death sentences imposed by the Iraqi high
tribunal," she added.
The US military has expressed concern over the
manner in which Saddam was hanged, saying it would
"have done things differently", and Britain has
condemned the leaking of the video.
On November 5, Saddam, Barzan and Bandar were found
guilty of ordering the judicial murder 148 Shiite
men and boys from the village Dujail in the 1980s,
and sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.
Saddam's execution five days ago has angered members
of Iraq's Sunni minority and triggered criticism
from observers who felt he was humiliated minutes
before put to death.
A top Iraqi official denied defended its conduct.
"Where was the humiliation? The shouting of the
crowd?" demanded Iraq's National Security Advisor
Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, who was present at the
execution, during an interview on CNN.
A grisly unofficial video released after Saddam was
hanged showed one of the members of the execution
party shouting the name of radical Shiite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, a bitter opponent of Saddam.
The two-and-half minute film shot on a mobile
telephone camera has spread like wildfire on the
Internet and triggered angry outbursts within the
Sunni Arab community of Iraq and from international
leaders.
One of those present at the execution could be heard
shouting "Moqtada! Moqtada! Moqtada!" at a sneering
Saddam, inspiring some observers to compare the
execution to a sectarian lynching.
"Basically they were doing their congregational
prayers and supplications, and they mentioned at the
end of their supplication the name of Moqtada,"
Rubaie said.
"I can't see where is the humiliation, to be quite
honest. Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada is not a dirty
word, not an obscene word, they were not cursing."
Rubaie also explained why the executioners and Iraqi
officials danced around Saddam's body after the
hanging.
"This is the tradition of the Iraqis -- when they do
something they dance around the body and they
express their feelings," he said.
"What is wrong with that? If that upsets the
feelings of some of the Arab nations and Arab
rulers, I think: 'The best of luck to them'.
"To the best of my knowledge and belief after I left
the scene I was proud of what had happened and it
was played by the book, but when the video was
released I saw some wrongdoing and this has to be
addressed," he said.
Shiite deputy Sami al-Askari, who was also present
at Saddam's execution, said two justice ministry
guards had been held for questioning.
"Two guards who are employees of the justice
ministry have been held, but there are no charges
against them yet," he told AFP.
AFP
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