On Monday Iraq executed 13 prisoners convicted of mostly terrorism-related charges, the spokesman of the Justice Ministry told The National on Thursday.
Eleven of these were “ISIS operatives and convicted of terrorism”, Ahmed Luaibi said, adding that they were involved in attacks against security forces, bombings, car bomb attacks and assassinations.
The two others were sentenced for other crimes, Mr Luaibi added.
"All death sentences were finalised and ratified by the Iraqi President," he said.
The prisoners were executed by hanging in the southern Iraqi province of Thi Qar, another official said.
The province is the home to Al Hoot prison where some of Iraq's most dangerous criminals are detained, including ISIS militants and officials from the government of Saddam Hussein.
The latest executions have set off fresh criticism from the human rights watchdog Amnesty International over Baghdad’s insistence on enforcing capital punishment.
“The Iraqi authorities must immediately halt all executions,” the UK-based organisation said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that they were convicted on “overly broad and vague terrorism charges”.
“Iraq’s recent executions are alarming and disheartening. For years, a legacy of human rights violations and abuses have plagued Iraq’s justice system, landing thousands on death row after grossly unfair trials,” said Razaw Salihy, Amnesty International’s Iraq Researcher.
Ms Salihy added that executions carried out after trials "that don’t meet international human rights standards may amount to arbitrary deprivation of life".
After the US-led invasion in 2003, coalition officials suspended Iraq’s death penalty, but it was reinstated in 2004 by Iraq’s transitional government.
Human rights groups have questioned trial procedures in Iraqi courts, alleging that some verdicts are based on evidence obtained by torture or forced statements against the accused. International observers worry that the legal process is faulty and that some trials are politically motivated.
In summer 2014, ISIS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate that spanned parts of both countries.
Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led international coalition, reclaimed all the territory held by ISIS in Iraq in late 2017, after three years of fighting.
However, the terrorist group still carries out hit-and-run attacks, particularly in the vast desert regions of northern and western Iraq, near the border with Syria.
Since the group's defeat, Iraqi authorities have put hundreds of ISIS fighters on trial. Legal and security authorities have not issued specific numbers on how many ISIS fighters have been executed or are on death row.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Tips for job-seekers
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David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
