|
Iraq's Sunni VP Hashemi rejects murder conviction, death
sentence |
|
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the
content of news information on this page |
|
Iraq's Sunni VP Hashemi rejects murder
conviction, death sentence
11.9.2012 |
|
|
|
Iraq's Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi gestures as
he addresses the media in Ankara. Photo:
Reuters
•
See Related Links
September 11, 2012
ANKARA, — Iraq's fugitive Vice President
Tareq al-Hashemi rejected his murder conviction and
death sentence and ruled out returning home until he
is guaranteed security and a fair trial.
"While reconfirming my absolute innocence and that
of my guards, I totally reject and will never
recognise the unfair, the unjust, the politically
motivated verdict, which was expected from the
outset of this funny trial," Hashemi told a news
conference in Ankara.
"I consider the verdict a medal on my chest," he
said.
An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced Hashemi in
absentia to death by hanging for the murder of a
woman lawyer and a brigadier general and he said it
had demanded his return back home within 30 days.
The leading Sunni Muslim official branded the
sentence "the final phase of the theatrical
campaign" carried out by his political rival, Iraqi
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and "his politicised
judiciary".
Hashemi had been accused of running a death squad,
with he and his bodyguards facing around 150 murder
charges.
He lashed out on Monday against Maliki, accusing the
Shiite Muslim premier of "aggressively" pushing Iraq
towards fresh sectarian strife.
He also lambasted him for what he called the "the
widest-scale corruption, the mismanagement, the
ongoing discrimination among Iraqi people, the
ongoing drift from building a real democracy to
restore a tyranic regime."
Hashemi, who took refuge with his family in Turkey
in April, said he would consider going back to
Baghdad only if his security was guaranteed and if
he was guaranteed a fair trial.
"If the fair court is guaranteed tomorrow even, if
the United Nations... assures me fair court in
Baghdad, I'm ready to attend tomorrow. No problem,"
he said at the press conference where he spoke both
in Arabic and English.
"But all what I need is security, a fair court
according to the Iraqi constitution which is not
available for the time being."
Hashemi said he had appealed to the United Nations
to establish a joint court with Iraq, calling for
the UN to send judges directly to Baghdad to
investigate the case, saying he would "welcome any
verdict" by such a court.
The fugitive vice-president also lashed out at the
international community for a "very slow" response
to the deadly violence in his country, and for "not
taking tangible measures to stop or to tackle the
real tragedy in Iraq".
His verdict was announced amid a wave of attacks in
Iraq that killed at least 88 people at the weekend.
Hashemi also made a veiled reference to Iranian
involvement in Iraq, speaking of the "growing
influence of neighbouring countries into our
internal affairs."
He also accused the United States of turning a blind
eye to Maliki's "disastrous conduct and policy"
because of the November presidential election.
Iraq's Shiite-led government opened charges against
Hashemi in December after US troops pulled out from
the country.
Hashemi fled to Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region,
which declined to hand him over to the federal
government,www.ekurd.net
and he then embarked on a tour that took him to
Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Hashemi, who has a residence permit for Turkey and
has been assured by Ankara that he would not be
extradited to Iraq, met Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday.
Relations between Ankara and Baghdad have been
marred by a flurry of disputes this year, including
Hashemi's presence in Turkey, and attacks by Turkish
forces on Kurdish rebel hideouts in Iraq.
"I am not worried about my life," said Hashemi. "I
am worried about the future of my country. I am
worried about the relationship between Turkey and
Iraq."
Copyright ©, respective
author or news agency,
telegraph.co.uk
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the
content of news information on this page
|
|
|
®
