UN 'appalled' at Iraq's latest mass hanging: Spokesperson

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The United Nations Human Rights office is “appalled” at the execution of 38 prisoners in Iraq, said a UN spokesperson on Friday, a day after the hanging at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.

“We are deeply shocked and appalled at the mass execution,” spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell told a regular UN briefing in Geneva.

She added that the human rights office had “huge concerns” about Iraq’s use of the death penalty, and—not for the first time—urged the Federal Government of Iraq to halt all executions.

“Given the flaws in the Iraqi justice system, it also appears extremely doubtful that strict due process and fair trial guarantees were followed in these 38 cases,” the spokesperson continued. “This raises the prospect of irreversible miscarriages of justice and violations of the right to life.”

Iraq’s judiciary convicted the 38 male prisoners for terrorism-related crimes, Throssell noted. She did not provide details on their ages or nationalities.

“In September, Baghdad hanged 42 prisoners in a single day, and the UN has learned of 106 executions in 2017,” the spokesperson added.

In 2016, the Ministry of Justice announced the execution of 88 prisoners, but the UN believes the number may have been as high as 116.

Throssell mentioned that the UN had repeatedly requested that the Iraqi Ministry of Justice present data about prisoners, sentencing, and executions but no such information had been provided since 2015.

Previously, the world body had spoken of almost 1,200 prisoners being on death row, but it was now impossible to confirm that information, according to the spokesperson.

In a statement published on Thursday, the Justice Ministry said all those convicted were members of the Islamic State.

Officials also said all the appeal options available to the condemned had been exhausted, according to the statement.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany