Iraq regime executes political prisoners

Iraq regime executes political prisoners

According to the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq (WCPI), the ruling Ba'ath regime of Iraq has started mass executions of political prisoners. More than 260 political prisoners — most of them in Abu Ghraib, the biggest prison — have been reported killed and hundreds more face the same fate.

Although those executed were serving prison sentences handed out by the show courts of the regime, they were accused of further charges attracting the death sentence. The execution campaign is ongoing, says the WCPI, and another 600 prisoners may also be killed.

There are thousands of political prisoners in Iraq. During three decades of rule, the Ba'ath regime has conducted killing and oppression campaigns against the prisoners. As well, thousands of political prisoners' families have been attacked, and hundreds killed.

The WCPI is appealing to workers' organisations and unions, defenders of political freedom and human rights organisations to act immediately to help save the prisoners' lives by pressuring the Ba'ath regime and sending special fact-finding delegations to investigate the conditions of political prisoners in Iraq.

From GLW issue 276