Prosecutor in Aziz trial calls for stiff penalty

Baghdad: The trial of former Iraqi deputy prime minister and close Saddam ally, Tariq Aziz, resumed on Tuesday with the prosecutor calling for a stiff penalty against the defendants.

Prosecutor Adnan Ali said a stiff penalty was required to “ease the hearts of the widows'' of the 42 merchants Aziz is accused of aiding to execute.

"There was a systematic campaign planned under the cover of darkness. Its villains were members of the Revolutionary Command Council and security agencies," Ali added.

Aziz, whose health is reportedly failing, was not represented at the trial. He walked into the court on Tuesday using a cane.

In his defense, Aziz told the court on Tuesday that he is being targeted because he was a member of council.

He said his prosecution was “a selective process wrought by the personal motivations of those intent on destroying [him].''

"It is a plot of personal revenge," he said.

Seven other former regime officials also face charges in the 1992 execution of the merchants, including Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan Al Majid, known as Chemical Ali, who was sentenced to death in another case.

They are facing charges stemming from the 1992 executions of 42 merchants accused by Saddam's government of profiteering when the country was under strict UN sanctions. They face the death penalty if convicted.