Iraq Carries Out First Post-Hussein Executions

The transitional Iraqi government executed three convicted murderers Thursday morning in the first application of the death penalty since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Bayan Ahmed Said, Uday Dawood Salman and Dhahar Jasim Hassan were hanged at 10 a.m. in Baghdad, Laith Kubba, a government spokesman, told reporters. He did not disclose their ages.

The men were found guilty of murder, rape and kidnapping in southeastern Iraq. Government supporters hailed the executions as a message to criminals throughout Iraq and a comfort for the victims’ relatives.

“Let those terrorists know that there will be decisive laws waiting to punish them if they try to kill innocent Iraqis,” said Abbas Bayati, a Shiite Muslim legislator. “The hearts of many families who had their loved ones killed for no reason will be healed today.”

European governments had hoped Iraq would abolish the death penalty, which many countries view as a violation of human rights. Executions, mostly of political opponents, were common under Hussein.

Death penalty opponents suggested that the hangings would hurt U.S. efforts to garner international support for the nascent Iraqi government.

“It’s a problem for our allies when we continue to execute people,” said David Elliot, spokesman for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, a Washington-based organization. “It’s going to be a problem for our allies when a U.S.-supported government in Iraq executes people.”

Some Iraqis questioned Iraq’s legal system, which they said lacked the transparency to guard against abuse and may not be capable of determining guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.

“I hope that they depended on concrete evidence against those people before executing them,” said Suha Azzawi, a Sunni Muslim legal scholar. “I wonder if those convicted were given fair rights, a decent trial and the right to an attorney.

“I just hope they won’t kill innocent people to satisfy others.”