Human Rights Watch criticises Iraq over 'unlawful' surge in executions

Some death certificates even lacked causes of death, and others raised suspicions that executions may not align with official accounts.

The Iraqi government has dramatically escalated the pace of executions in 2024, raising serious concerns among human rights groups, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

A report released on Tuesday, 19 November, by HRW details allegations of torture-tainted confessions, denial of fair trials, and executions carried out without notifying lawyers or families. The executions are described as part of a broader pattern of systemic abuse and lack of transparency in Iraq's judicial and prison systems.

HRW estimates that around 8,000 individuals are on death row in Iraq. Recent cases show the government's disregard for international legal standards, with family members reporting torture and mistreatment of prisoners at Nasiriyah Central Prison. Some death certificates even lacked causes of death, and others raised suspicions that executions may not align with official accounts. HRW has repeatedly called for a moratorium on executions and a thorough reform of Iraq's judicial processes.

The report comes on the heels of mounting criticism from other rights organisations, including AFAD, an Iraqi human rights observatory. AFAD's October report accused authorities of conducting "secret executions" in Nasiriyah prison, with prisoners hanged in groups without access to legal counsel or opportunities to contact families. In September alone, AFAD documented 50 executions, often accompanied by sectarian slurs from executioners. Families of victims have reported being harassed by state security forces, with some denied funeral rites or access to independent autopsies.

In July, the Iraqi Ministry of Justice denied allegations of secret executions, warning of legal action against those spreading "false information."

The New Arab reached out to Ahmed Al-Luaibi, spokesperson for Iraq's Justice Ministry, but he was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

This comes as Iraq faces mounting scrutiny over human rights abuses highlighted in international reports. According to a statement on the official Facebook page of the Justice Ministry on Tuesday, Justice Minister Khalid Shwani chaired a meeting of the National Committee for Drafting International Reports to prepare for Iraq's upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights at the UN in Geneva.

The meeting, also attended by Iraq's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa, focused on bolstering the delegation’s readiness and showcasing progress on human rights under the government’s agenda. The committee outlined a work plan, highlighting key achievements and directing the completion of necessary technical and logistical preparations, the statement said.

Lack of transparency

HRW reported that some prisoners were executed after being tortured into signing confessions. Two executed men had officially documented evidence of torture but were denied retrials because case files were destroyed during ISIS attacks in 2014.

The lack of transparency in Iraq's execution process remains a central issue. HRW and The New Arab have both highlighted the Iraqi Presidency's inconsistent communication on death sentence ratifications. Although President Abdul Latif Rashid claims executions adhere to legal procedures, human rights advocates argue that political pressure from Shia factions has influenced decisions.

On 25 October, The New Arab conducted a detailed investigation into conditions at Nasiriyah prison, suggesting allegations of inhumane treatment, psychological abuse, and coerced confessions. Prisoners reportedly face prolonged solitary confinement, lack of medical care, and constant fear of retaliation. Some prisoners have also been reportedly subjected to mock executions as a form of psychological torture.

Political and sectarian tensions add further complexity. Prominent Sunni politicians, such as Sheikh Thaer al-Bayati claimed to TNA that the executions are based on sectarian biases in the judicial process. Sunni-majority regions like Nineveh and Salah al-Din reportedly account for a significant number of those executed. Critics, including human rights organisations, accuse Iraq's government of using the death penalty as a political tool, particularly against marginalised communities.

The growing scrutiny over Iraq's justice system has amplified calls for reform. HRW and other organisations urge Iraq to halt all pending executions and implement the long-delayed General Amnesty Law, which could pave the way for retrials of prisoners convicted under flawed legal procedures.

Source: HRW, Dana Taib Menmy, November 20, 2024

_____________________________________________________________________

Twitter/X | Instagram | Telegram | Contact Us

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

Comments

China executes 11 members of gang who ran billion-dollar criminal empire in Myanmar

China has executed 11 members of the notorious Ming family criminal gang, who ran mafia-like scam centers in Myanmar and killed workers who tried to escape, Chinese state media reported on Thursday. The Ming family was one of the so-called 4 families of northern Myanmar — crime syndicates accused of running hundreds of compounds dealing in internet fraud, prostitution and drug production, and whose members held prominent positions in the local government and militia aligned with Myanmar’s ruling junta.

Florida | Man convicted of leaving girl to be eaten by gators avoids death penalty

After about 4 hours of deliberations, jurors on Friday recommended Harrel Braddy should be sentenced to life in prison for the 1998 killing of 5-year-old Quantisha Maycock. A South Florida man who dropped off a 5-year-old child in the Everglades to be eaten alive by gators nearly 3 decades ago was given a second chance at life as jurors recommended he should spend the rest of his life behind bars instead of being sent to death row. After about four hours of deliberations, jurors on Friday recommended Harrel Braddy should be sentenced to life in prison for the 1998 killing of 5-year-old Quantisha Maycock.

Federal Judge Rules Out Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealth CEO Killing

NEW YORK — A federal judge has dismissed two charges against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, effectively removing the possibility of the death penalty in the high-profile case. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled Friday that the murder charge through use of a firearm — the only count that could have carried a capital sentence — was legally incompatible with the remaining interstate stalking charges against Mangione.

Georgia parole board suspends scheduled execution of Cobb County death row prisoner

The execution of a Georgia man scheduled for Wednesday has been suspended as the State Board of Pardons and Paroles considers a clemency application. Stacey Humphreys, 52, would have been the state's first execution in 2025. As of December 16, 2025, Georgia has carried out zero executions in 2025. The state last executed an inmate in January 2020, followed by a pause due to COVID-19. Executions resumed in 2024, but none have occurred this year until now. Humphreys had been sentenced to death for the 2003 killings of 33-year-old Cyndi Williams and 21-year-old Lori Brown, who were fatally shot at the real estate office where they worked.

California | Convicted killer Scott Peterson keeps swinging in court — but expert says he’s not going anywhere but his cell

More than two decades after Laci Peterson vanished from her Modesto, California, home, the murder case that captivated the nation continues to draw legal challenges, public debate and renewed attention. As the year comes to a close, Scott Peterson, convicted in 2004 of murdering his pregnant wife and their unborn son Conner, remains behind bars, serving life without the possibility of parole. His wife disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002, and a few months later, the remains of Laci and Conner were found in the San Francisco Bay.

Death toll in Iran protests could exceed 30,000

In an exclusive report, the American magazine TIME cited two senior officials from the Iranian Ministry of Health, who stated that the scale of the crackdown against protesters on January 18 and 19 was so widespread that 18-wheeler trailers replaced ambulances. In its report, based on testimony from these two high-ranking officials, TIME revealed statistics that differ vastly from the official narrative of the Islamic Republic.

Oklahoma board recommends clemency for inmate set to be executed next week

A voting board in Oklahoma decided Wednesday to recommend clemency for Tremane Wood, a death row inmate who is scheduled to receive a lethal injection next week at the state penitentiary in McAlester. Wood, 46, faces execution for his conviction in the 2001 murder of Ronnie Wipf, a migrant farmworker, at an Oklahoma City hotel on New Year's Eve, court records show. The recommendation was decided in a 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, consisting of five members appointed by either the governor or the state's top judicial official, according to CBS News affiliate KWTV. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Sitt will consider the recommendation as he weighs whether to grant or deny Wood's clemency request, which would mean sparing him from execution and reducing his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The US reporter who has witnessed 14 executions: ‘People need to know what it looks like’

South Carolina-based journalist Jeffrey Collins observed back-to-back executions in 2025 after the state revived the death penalty following a 13-year pause Jeffrey Collins has watched 14 men draw their final breaths. Over 25 years at the Associated Press, the South Carolina-based journalist has repeatedly served as an observer inside the state’s execution chamber, watching from feet away as prison officials kill men who were sentenced to capital punishment. South Carolina has recently kept him unusually busy, with seven back-to-back executions in 14 months.

Florida's second execution of 2026 scheduled for February

Florida’s second execution of 2026, a man convicted of killing a grocery story owner, will take place in February. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant Jan. 23 for Melvin Trotter, 65, to die by lethal injection Feb. 24. Florida's first execution will take place just a few weeks earlier when Ronald Palmer Heath is set to die Feb. 10. Trotter was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1987 for strangling and stabbing Virgie Langford a year earlier in Palmetto.

China executes another four members of powerful Myanmar-based crime family

China has executed another four members of a powerful Myanmar-based crime family that oversaw 41 pig butchering scam* compounds across Southeast Asia. The executed individuals were members of the Bai family, a particularly powerful gang that ruled the Laukkai district and helped transform it into a hub for casinos, trafficking, scam compounds, and prostitution. China’s Supreme People’s Court approved the executions after 21 members were charged with homicide, kidnapping, extortion, operating a fraudulent casino, organizing illegal border crossings, and forced prostitution. The court said the Bai family made over $4 billion across its enterprise and killed six Chinese citizens.

Death Penalty News

Search This Blog