Iraq’s Supreme Criminal Court last week passed a death sentence on Tareq Aziz, once the international face of Saddam Hussein’s regime, over the persecution of Islamic parties.
A court official said the sentence was given “for the crimes of trying to eliminate the religious parties in Iraq before 2003.”
During Hussein’s rule, only his Baath party was allowed to exist. His government crushed attempts to establish rival political organisations, and in particular carried out constant campaigns against Islamic parties.
In 2009, Aziz was sentenced to 15 years for his part in the 1992 killings of dozens of merchants, and seven more years for his role in the forced displacement of Kurds from northern Iraq during Hussein's rule.
Aziz gave himself up to invading US forces in April 2003 but was later handed over to Iraqi prison authorities.
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