Demonstration in central Baghdad against executions and demanding a “general amnesty”

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[size=52]Demonstration in central Baghdad against executions and demanding a “general amnesty”[/size]

[size=45]Dozens of Iraqi women have staged protests in central Baghdad to demand an end to the execution of detainees whose confessions were extracted under torture or by secret informants, and the passage of a general amnesty law that would allow convicted detainees to be retried in fair and transparent judicial proceedings.[/size]
[size=45]Dozens of wives and mothers of detainees gathered in Tahrir Square, in central Baghdad, carrying pictures of their sons, husbands and brothers, along with banners with phrases condemning the recent executions carried out by the Iraqi authorities, which targeted dozens of detainees according to Iraqi human rights and political reports.[/size]
[size=45]They also raised slogans denouncing the use of secret informants and the confessions their sons made under torture, demanding justice through the approval of the amnesty law that has been stalled in parliament for about two years, and which includes important provisions, including the retrial of anyone proven to have been subjected to torture during investigation, as well as the victims of the secret informant, because of which thousands of people have been thrown into prison over the past years.[/size]
[size=45]They called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and President Abdul Latif Rashid to halt executions until the general amnesty law is passed, to prevent the killing of many innocent people in prisons.[/size]
[size=45]The protesters attacked the political forces and parties that repeated their promises in the last elections regarding the approval of the amnesty law, but abandoned these promises and remained silent now, waving phrases such as “No amnesty, no elections,” in reference to boycotting the elections scheduled for the end of next year in the event that the law on the general amnesty currently in parliament is not approved.[/size]
[size=45]The general amnesty law is one of the most prominent demands of the Sunni blocs, which stipulated its approval during the negotiations to form the state administration. Since the formation of the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the law has faced an uncertain fate, despite the existence of a political agreement to legislate it. However, observers have indicated that there are parties within the “Coordination Framework” working to obstruct the law and not abide by the promises previously given to other parties (the Sunnis) to ensure their participation in the new government.[/size]
[size=45]Earlier last week, several Sunni Arab political forces and figures issued positions calling for a halt to the execution campaigns, which coincide with the anticipation of a vote on amending the general amnesty law, to ensure the retrial of detainees and ensure fairness of their sentences, in accordance with the terms of the political agreement paper that was agreed upon in 2022 prior to the formation of the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.[/size]
[size=45]A statement by the “United” bloc, led by former parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, expressed regret over the increase in “the pace of executions in a way that indicates a lack of responsibility towards justice,” calling on Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid to “freeze the execution of death sentences, refer them to investigation again, and then bring them to trial. In this way, we will have all triumphed for justice and the protection of citizens’ rights,” according to the statement.[/size]
[size=45]Meanwhile, the head of the Iraqi “National Project”, Jamal Al-Dhari, issued a statement in which he said that “the continuation of the series of executions in Iraqi prisons at an accelerating pace confirms that the government and the presidency are not serious about sparing Iraq the risks of division and weakness in the face of the great dangers it faces,” calling for “a halt to the implementation of death sentences until the issuance of a general amnesty law by the House of Representatives, and until comprehensive reviews of judicial rulings are available and serious and comprehensive investigations are conducted into complaints about the justice of these rulings.”[/size]
[size=45]For its part, the Iraqi presidency issued a statement last Thursday attacking those it called “enemies of Iraq,” accusing them of being behind “fake news,” vowing that it “will not hesitate to carry out its duties in ratifying death sentences against terrorists whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent Iraqis after the sentence has completed all legal procedures, including appeal, retrial, and presentation to the Special Pardon Committee. The President of the Republic, as the protector of the constitution, is keen to complete the legal procedures against those convicted, and he is responsible for protecting the blood of innocent Iraqis and exacting retribution from their killers.”[/size]
[size=45]The AFAD Observatory for Human Rights in Iraq revealed earlier that the Iraqi authorities carried out no less than 50 executions last September, which it considered to be among the largest executions carried out in the country since 2003, holding the presidency responsible for accelerating the pace of executions in the country for political purposes.[/size]
[size=45]Last month, Agence France-Presse confirmed, citing Iraqi security sources, that the Iraqi authorities had executed 21 people, including a woman, convicted of crimes, most of which were “terrorism.”[/size]
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