Iraq has executed seven people over the past two days convicted on terrorism charges, the justice minister said on Thursday.
Iraq has executed nearly 170 people this year. Executions in Iraq, usually carried out by hanging, have increased this year despite persistent international calls for a moratorium.
Diplomats have voiced worry that the pace of executions may increase ahead of elections due to be held on April 30.
The United Nations, European Union and human rights groups have condemned the high rate of executions, with UN human rights chief Navi Pillay saying earlier this year that Iraq’s criminal justice system was “not functioning adequately.”
She highlighted “numerous convictions based on confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment, a weak judiciary and trial proceedings that fall short of international standards.”
Source: AFP
