EU expresses deep concern over recent surge in executions in Iraq

Shafaq News/ The European Union has voiced alarm over the recent increase in capital punishment sentences in Iraq, highlighting the execution of several prisoners in a single day and the growing number of death row inmates in the country.

As of today, over 8,000 prisoners are reportedly awaiting execution.

In a statement issued by Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the European Council, the EU expressed its "deep concern over the recent increased application of capital punishment sentences in Iraq.

Stano noted that the European Union "strongly opposes the capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances."

The statement described the death penalty as "a cruel and inhumane ultimate punishment" that fails to act as a deterrent to crime and "is incompatible with the inalienable right to life." Additionally, Stano pointed out that the use of capital punishment "represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity" and carries the risk of irreversible miscarriages of justice.

The European Union urged Iraq to take immediate action to reduce its use of the death penalty. "The European Union calls on Iraq to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a first step towards its eventual abolishment," Stano said.

"The EU will continue to work for the abolition of the death penalty in the few remaining countries that still apply it," the statement concluded.

Iraq’s frequent use of the death penalty has drawn international criticism from human rights organizations, with calls to reform the country's judicial practices and reduce reliance on capital punishment.

The EU's concerns follow reports from an Iraqi security source on Wednesday confirming to Shafaq News Agency that Iraq's Ministry of Justice had executed 21 individuals at Nasiriyah Central Prison (Al-Hout) in southern Iraq’s Dhi Qar governorate.

The source pointed out that "among those executed was a woman involved in a murder that took place in Al-Wathba Square in Baghdad." The executions followed final rulings by the courts, with the sentences ratified by the Iraqi President.

Further details from another source identified the woman as Hind Bashar, who had participated in the killing of a protester in Baghdad's Al-Wathba Square during the 2019 demonstrations. She was reportedly part of a group of eight individuals who attacked the protesters.

In a previous statement, former spokesman for Iraq’s armed forces, Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf, explained that the victim was a 17-year-old boy who had repeatedly asked the protesters gathered in front of his house to disperse. After a verbal altercation, individuals threw Molotov cocktails at his residence. The boy fired warning shots, but the group stormed his home, killing him, dragging his body through the streets, and hanging it from a pole.