Iraqi appeals court upholds Saddam death ruling

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-27-2006 08:46

Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (File Photo)

An Iraqi appeals court has upheld an earlier ruling that former leader, Saddam Hussein, be hanged for crimes against humanity. The country's high tribunal court also ordered the sentence to be carried out within a month.

Almost two months have passed since an Iraqi court handed down the death sentence to Saddam and two co-defendants. They were charged and found guilty of killing 148 people from the Shi'ite Muslim town of Dujail in 1982. And Tuesday saw the November ruling find support in the country's highest appeals court.

Aref Shanin, Iraqi Appeals Court chief judge, said, "The appeals court has ratified the conviction against Saddam Hussein, Barzan Ibrahim al Hassan and Awad al Bandr and the punishment by death sentence, for committing crimes against humanity according to items numbered 12 and 15, from the laws numbered 1, 2, 3, and the law of the High Criminal Court."

Aref Shanin, Iraqi Appeals Court chief judge

He added that the sentence should be implemented within 30 days.

On the streets of Baghdad and Najaf, many Iraqis were delighted with the verdict.

Iraqi resident, said, "This verdict is a joy for all those who were oppressed under Saddam, and this is a just verdict for Saddam."

The appeals court decision must be further ratified by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and the country's two Vice Presidents. Talabani opposes the death penalty. But he has, in the past, deputized a vice president to sign an execution order on his behalf - a substitute that was legally accepted.

Editor:Du Xiaodan