EU divided on Saddam Hussein hanging
HELENA SPONGENBERG
06.11.2006 @ 09:30 CET
The death penalty ruling on Saddam Hussein has sparked division in EU member states on the issue of the fundamental right to live and whether it is fair to let the former Iraqi leader pay for his crimes with his life.
"The European Union repeatedly condemned the systematic, widespread and extremely grave violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law committed by the regime of Saddam Hussein," Finland – which currently hold the rotating EU presidency – said in a statement after the Baghdad court's decision on Sunday (5 November).
The EU is against the death penalty in principle, but the UK did not criticise the Hussein verdict (Photo: wikipedia)
But it also recalled the longstanding position of the EU against the death penalty. "The EU opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances and it should not be carried out in this case either," the EU statement said.
Some member states also came out with their own statements. While praising the fact that Saddam Hussein had faced trial, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden condemned the use of the death penalty.
"Saddam Hussein like any other citizen and political leader must answer for his actions, for what he might have done during his time in government. It is well know that for a long time the European Union hasn't supported the death sentence," Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Zapatero said, according to the Basque news channel eitb24.
However, UK foreign secretary Margaret Beckett made no mention of the death penalty when she said "I welcome that Saddam Hussein and the other defendants have faced justice and have been held to account for their crimes," in an openly positive statement on Sunday's verdict.
"Appalling crimes were committed by Saddam Hussein's regime. It is right that those accused of such crimes against the Iraqi people should face Iraqi justice," she said, leading to several media branding the UK as supporting the sentence of death penalty.
The death penalty is banned across the European bloc and the abolition of capital punishment is part of the human rights criteria of EU membership.
Most western European countries abandoned the death penalty in the 1960s while central and eastern European states did so in the 1990s.
Other organisations have also expressed criticism of the death sentence.
UN human rights chief Louise Arbour called for a moratorium on executions and expressed her wish that the rights of the defendants to a fair appeal to be "fully respected."
London-based human rights group Amnesty International said it "deplores" the death penalty given to Hussein.
"[The trial] has been a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws that call into question the capacity of the tribunal, as currently established, to administer justice fairly, in conformity with international standards," said Malcolm Smart from the international human rights group.
Saddam Hussein's crimes
Hussein – who protested while his judgement was read out - was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity for his role in ordering the deaths of 148 Shiite villagers in the town of Dujail in 1982.
The verdict does not include other more well-known alleged crimes against Iran, the Iraqi Kurds or Kuwait committed by the former leader during his 24 years in power.
US president George Bush said the trial is "a major achievement for Iraq's young democracy."
Mr Bush noted that through the appeals process, the former Iraqi leader "will continue to receive the due process and legal rights that he denied to the Iraqi people."