Stop the execution of three Iraqi women !

[Michel Collon <michel.collon at skynet.be>]

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Stop the execution of three Iraqi women !
Dirk Adriaensens
Member BRussells Tribunal
<<http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>
Coordinator SOS Iraq <<http://www.SOSiraq.org/>http://www.SOSiraq.org/>
[<mailto:dirk.adriaensens at skynet.be>dirk.adriaensens at skynet.be]

Dear friends,

Below is disturbing information we received from Iraq. The imminent
execution of three Iraqi women: Wassan, Zainab and Liqa, without a fair
trial, is expected to take place on March 3.

The executions of what they call " Terrorists" and " criminals" in their
dozens have been going on over a year now. A public execution took place in
Mosul City, North of Iraq, two months ago. however, this is the first time
we hear about sentencing women to death. Amnesty International has led the
way demanding an end to this practise in the " new Iraq".

According to Mohamed Khorshid, head of Human rights orgs in Iraq in his
statement to Asharq Al Awsat newspaper on 6th April 2006, there are over
2000 women classified as " security detainees " under the supervision of
both the occupation and the Iraqi puppet regime, in various prisons, camps
and detention centres.

In a recent statement at the Parliament, the Iraqi Minister of Human
rights, said that there are over 1000 women security detainees, only to
deny her own statement within a day after a public outcry.

This is the signal of the opening of an era of "legal" executions in Iraq.
It is a horrible proof that the illegal executions of Saddam Hussein and
other Baath leaders were not "isolated" or "exceptional" incidents, but
that they laid the groundwork for employment by the Iraqi ruling clique of
"judicially sanctioned" executions as a legitimate "measure" against those
who oppose their puppet regime and the illegal US occupation.

We believe it is vitally important to protest and take action, to compel
the Iraqi authorities to revoke this sentence. Do appeal to relevant
institutions and ask them to intervene to stop this. Send your protest
letters to Iraq's Justice minister: Hashim al Shilbi:
head-minister at iraqi-justice.org
<<mailto:head-minister at iraqi-justice.org>head-minister at iraqi-justice.org> .

Let's all raise our voices. NOW !!

Abdul Ilah Al Bayaty, Member BRussells Tribunal
<<http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>
advisory committee.
Ayse Berktay, World Tribunal on Iraq
<<http://www.worldtribunal.org/>http://www.worldtribunal.org/> organiser.
Dirk Adriaensens, Member BRussells Tribunal
<<http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>
executive committee.
Hana Al Bayaty, Member BRussells Tribunal
<<http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>http://www.brusselstribunal.org/>
executive committee.

Helped to write this appeal: Haifa Zangana. Additional comments from Abdul
Ilah Al Bayaty -in French-, Tahrir Numan and the appeal of Amnesty
International underneath.

The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Court sentenced the death by hanging of three
women, on charges of complicity in the murder of Iraqi police loyal to the
occupation in Baghdad and participation in what the Court considered
Terrorism.

News from a source in the Iraqi Lawyers Union :

The three women are:

- Wassan Talib (31 years old). The charge is killing five police officers
through the participation with gunmen in an attack on police.

- Zainab Fadhil (25 years). The charge is attacking a joint patrol of the
Iraqi army and the the American army last September with her husband and
Her cousin in Baghdad.

- Liqa Omar Muhammad (26 years old). The charge is the participation with
her husband and her brother in the killing of an official from the Green
Zone.

Walid Hayali, lawyer and member of The Iraqi Lawyers Union, said the Court
issued a ruling against the three women under item 156, without allowing
them to engage counsel from a lawyer.

The lawyer asks the whole world to move to stop the execution of the three
women and to Condemn the Court's ruling.

He points out that Liqa Omar Muhammad gave birth to her daughter in prison
a few months ago and is still nursing the child, and

Wassan Talib has a three-year-old daughter. He explained that the three
women are now in "Kazimiah prison" in the Kazimiyah region.


The execution is scheduled for 3 Mars and the trial was not revised in
appeal as there was no lawyer to ask for this.

The four women named above have been sentenced to death, and at least one
of them is in imminent danger of execution. The president has the power to
pardon them, or commute their sentences.

Samar Sa'ad 'Abdullah was sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court
of Iraq (CCCI) on 15 August 2005 for the murder of her uncle, his wife and
three of their children in the al-Khudra' district of Baghdad. She
reportedly blamed the killings on her fiancé, who, she said, had carried
them out in order to rob her uncle. Her fiancé was said to have been
arrested, but Amnesty International does not know what charges, if any,
have been brought against him. Samar Sa'ad 'Abdullah's death sentence was
upheld on appeal, and she is facing imminent execution.

In a separate case, Wassan Talib and Zeynab Fadhil were sentenced to death
by the CCCI on 31 August 2006 for the 2005 murder of several members of
Iraqi security forces in the Baghdad district of Hay al-Furat. Both women
denied they had been involved, and Zeynab Fadhil reportedly claimed that
she was abroad at the time of the killings.

Liqa' Qamar was sentenced to death on 6 February 2006 by the CCCI, for a
kidnapping which reportedly took place in 2005. Her husband is said to have
been detained and accused of the same crime. No further details are
available.

All four women are held at Baghdad's al-Kadhimiya Prison. Two have young
children with them: Zeynab Fadhil her three-year-old daughter, Liqa' Qamar
her one-year-old daughter, who was born in prison.


Justice minister: Hashim al Shilbi: head-minister at iraqi-justice.org
<<mailto:head-minister at iraqi-justice.org>head-minister at iraqi-justice.org>

Talabani's office:
<http://www.iraqipresidency.net/greetings_send.php?language=arabic>http://www.iraqipresidency.net/greetings_send.php?language=arabic
<<http://www.iraqipresidency.net/greetings_send.php?language=arabic>http://www.iraqipresidency.net/greetings_send.php?language=arabic>