Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Handed Third Death Sentence

November 04, 2012

Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has been handed a third death sentence by a Baghdad court after being convicted in absentia of involvement in a foiled 2011 car bombing targeting Iraqi Shi'a.

The court on November 4 also sentenced in absentia Hashemi's son-in-law, Ahmed Qahtan, to death on charges related to the same incident.

Hashemi, a vocal critic of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, fled Iraq in December and has said the charges against him are politically motivated.

Hashemi was first sentenced to death in September on charges of running death squads.

On November 1, the court handed Hashemi a second death sentence on charges of attempting to organize the assassination of a senior Interior Ministry official.

Hashemi's lawyers said they were not aware of the proceedings in that case.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/fugitive-iraq-vp-hashemi-given-third-death-sentence/24760328.html

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