Iraq 'must impose death penalty moratorium'

Amnesty International called on Thursday for Iraq to issue a moratorium on its use of the death penalty and commute all death sentences after Baghdad said it had executed 26 people this week. The executions, which brought to at least 96 the number of people executed this week, were a "significant and worrying increase compared to the previous year" when at least 68 people were executed, the London-based rights group said in a statement. "Many trials of those sentenced to death failed to meet international standards for fair trials, including that 'confessions' obtained under torture or other ill-treatment had been used as evidence against them," it said. "Some Iraqi television stations continue to broadcast self-incriminating testimonies of detainees even before the opening of a trial, undermining the fundamental right of defendants to be considered innocent until proven guilty." "Amnesty International is urging the Iraqi authorities to refrain from using the death penalty, commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment and declare a moratorium on executions," the statement said. Iraq executed 21 people, including three women and one Saudi national, on Monday, and five more people, including a Syria national, on Wednesday, a justice ministry spokesperson said. The country has carried out several other mass executions this year, including one in which 14 people were put to death on February 7, and another in which 17 were executed on January 31. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed shock earlier this year at the number of executions, criticizing the lack of transparency in court proceedings and calling for an immediate suspension of the death penalty.