Amnesty International deplores Saddam's execution

dpa
Jan. 01, 2007

London- Human rights organization Amnesty International said Sunday in London that it "deplores" the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. ""We oppose the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, but it is especially abhorrent when this most extreme penalty is imposed after an unfair trial," Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa programme, said in a statement.

"It is even more worrying that in this case, the execution appeared a foregone conclusion, once the original verdict was pronounced, with the Appeals Court providing little more than a veneer of legitimacy for what was, in fact, a fundamentally flawed process," Smart said.

The statement pointed out that Amnesty had always campaigned for Saddam to be brought to justice for crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, the trial the former dictator faced was "a deeply flawed affair."

"It will be seen by many as nothing more than 'victor's justice' and, sadly, will do nothing to stem the unrelenting tide of political killings," Smart said.