Iraq sentences fugitive Vice President to deathSeptember 9, 2012 - 17:01 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on Sunday, Sept 9 after he was convicted of murder in a ruling likely to further exacerbate sectarian tension, Reuters reported. Hashemi, a Sunni, fled the country earlier this year after authorities accused him of running a death squad. His case triggered a crisis in the power-sharing government among Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish political blocs. "The high criminal court issued a death sentence by hanging against Tareq al-Hashemi after he was convicted," Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, a spokesman for the judiciary council said. Hashemi and his son-in-law were both found guilty of two murders. Under Iraqi law, a conviction is followed immediately by sentencing. The death sentence can be appealed. Since the last American troops left in December, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government has been hamstrung by political deadlock among the Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs. Upswings in political tension are often accompanied by a surge in violence as Sunni Islamists and a local al Qaeda wing seek to stir up the kind of sectarian killing that dragged Iraq to the edge of civil war in 2006-2007. Bombings and attacks across Iraq killed at least 58 people on Sunday, including a bombing outside the French consular office in the southern city of Nassiriya. Hashemi, who is in Turkey, has accused Maliki of conducting a political witch-hunt against Sunni opponents, but the government said it was a judicial case. After the fall of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein and the rise of Iraq's Shi'ite majority to power, many Iraqi Sunnis feel they have been sidelined. Sunni politicians say Maliki is failing to live up to agreements to share government power among the parties. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |