Gulf | Bahrain
Stop unjust execution, says Bahraini body
A political association at the centre of a controversy in Bahrain after it set up a condolence house for former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain, yesterday blasted an Iraqi move to increase former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan's life sentence to death.
- By Habib ToumiBureau Chief
- Published: 00:00 January 26, 2007
Manama: A political association at the centre of a controversy in Bahrain after it set up a condolence house for former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain, yesterday blasted an Iraqi move to increase former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan's life sentence to death.
"The decision to turn the life imprisonment into a death sentence is part of a US-Iranian agreement to eliminate all Iraqi icons and leaders held by the US occupiers," the Nationalist Rally Association said in a statement.
Ramadan was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 5, but an appeal court ruled his previous sentence was too lenient and returned his case to the High Tribunal, demanding he be sentenced to death.
But the association, expressing concern that Ramadan would be executed by the Green Zone government said that the trial was "a parody of justice" and that the court could not present a single piece of evidence against him.
"We call upon all national, regional and international activists, associations and organisations to use whatever means they have to stop the unjust execution of Taha Yassin Ramadan and, subsequently, of the other prisoners," the statement said.
Former Iraqi vice-premier Tariq Aziz should be granted freedom at least on medical grounds, the society added.
"He has been detained without charge and his health has been deteriorating while the occupation forces have consistently refused to provide him with the treatment he needs."
Aziz, a 70-year-old Chaldean Catholic from a Babylonian branch of the Church pleaded on January 12 with Pope Benedict XVI to act as a guarantor for him to be released on bail and to be allowed to live in Italy while awaiting trial.
The Nationalist Rally Association was firebombed earlier this month after it opened its headquarters to receive condolences for the ousted Iraqi president.
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