Selected statements and actions against the imminent execution of 3 Iraqi women.

 

* Hanging the womb of Iraq  (Statement 14 Feb 2007)

* Iraq: Fear of imminent execution/death penalty (Amnesty International 06 Feb 2007)

* The Italian Association of Democratic Lawyers (19 Feb 2006)

* Luisa Morgantini, Vicepresidente del Parlamento Europeo (19 Feb 2007)

* EALDH European Association for Democracy and World Human Rights (20 Feb 2007)

* Letter of the Socialist Fraction in the EP to Mr Talabani (22 Feb 2007)

*  NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE STATEMENT REGARDING DEATH SENTENCES TO BE IMPOSED AGAINST IRAQI CITIZENS (USA, 26 Feb 2007)

*  European Women’s Lobby (EWL), the largest coalition of women’s NGO's (27 Feb 2007)

* Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's intervention (02 March 2007)

* Letter from Ann Clwyd, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq, UK (02 March 2007)

*  The State Bar of Wisconsin has taken up the women's appeal. Read their letter (07 March 2007)

*  Letter from Tahrir Numan to Ann clwyd, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq, UK (30 May 2007)

 

Read also: Iraqi puppet “court” in Baghdad sentences three women to death for carrying out Resistance attacks. They were not permitted legal counsel. (10 Feb 2007) | Ishtar at the gallows (Layla Anwar, 17 Feb 2007) | Iraqis killing Iraqis for America (Curtis Doebbler, 22 Feb 2007) | Broken Wings...no more. (Layla Anwar, 22 Feb 2007) | Appelli di vari organismi per i diritti umani, tra i quali Amnesty international e dell’Associazione italiana dei giuristi democratici. (Giuliana Sgrena 22 Feb 2007) |  Special present for Women's Day (Nermin Al-Mufti 01 March 2007) | Outrage over Imminent Execution of Iraqi Women (Dahr Jamail 02 March 2007) | The death sentence pronounced on three Iraqi women alleged to be members of the resistance (Niloufer Bhagwat 03 March 2007) | Appeal to Cindy Sheehan: Some Mothers' Daughters - The Silence (Felicity Arbuthnot 03 March 2007)

For Immediate Release: February 26, 2007
 

Contact:

Jeanne Mirer, National Lawyers Guild International Committee Co-Chair, [email protected]
 

NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE STATEMENT REGARDING DEATH SENTENCES TO BE IMPOSED AGAINST IRAQI CITIZENS
 

The National Lawyers Guild International Committee (NLG-IC), a network of human rights attorneys, law students, and legal workers (USA), has received information that an Iraqi Tribunal has convicted and intends to put three young Iraqi women, Wassan Talib , age 31; Zeynab Fadhil age 25 and Liqa Omar Muhammad age 26 to death in the very near future.
 

Based on the information received, the NLG-IC demands that the Iraqi government immediately repudiate its intention to execute these women. NLG-IC joins with many human rights and jurists organizations in making this demand. The following reasons support this demand:
 

1. We have received information that these three were denied legal counsel and that they have denied the charges against them. Without legal counsel to present their cases, they have been denied the fundamental right to a fair trial. In this regard their and this fact alone would make their executions, summary and extra-judicial. Iraq and the United States are also bound by International human rights law which includes Article 14 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.
 

2. The law under which these women were charged, Article 156 of the Iraqi Penal Code, reads: "Any person who willfully commits an act with the intent to violate the independence of the country or its unity or the security of its territory and that act, by its nature leads to a violation, is punishable by death". This law cannot apply in the context of an occupation where the crimes they were charged with were related to the resisting the occupation of Iraq by the United States.
 

3. As international law affirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, national unity, and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle, (UN General Assembly Resolution 37/43 adopted 3 December 1982) it is illegal for the Iraqi government to have tried these individuals in an Iraqi Tribunal, when they if they were to be detained they should have been considered Prisoners of War and provided all of the protections of the Third Geneva Convention. Under this convention they cannot be tried and executed summarily.
 

4. Iraq and the US are bound by international humanitarian law. Whether these women are treated as combatants or civilians they have a right to independent legal counsel. (Article 99 of the Third Geneva Convention, and Article 113 of the Fourth Geneva Convention).
 

5. Furthermore, these women are being held in Baghdad’s Al-Kadhimiya Prison. Two of them have small children, and the one-year-old daughter of Liqa was born in prison. While the international community overwhelmingly rejects the use of the death penalty in all cases, Article 3 of the UN Safeguards Guaranteeing Protection of the Rights of those facing the Death Penalty, (ECOSOC Resolution 1984/50, adopted 25 May 1984) states that the death penalty cannot be imposed on new mothers, and Article 5 states that the death penalty may not be imposed unless the legal process is competent, and all due process rights are safeguarded and Article 6 of the UN Safeguards demands that anyone sentenced to death must have the right of appeal to a higher court, and Article 8 makes it illegal to execute anyone while an appeal is pending.
 

In light of the foregoing, the National Lawyers Guild International Committee demands that the Iraqi Government repudiate the convictions of these woman and provide them with the protections under international humanitarian law.

EALDH European Association for Democracy and World Human Rights

To Iraqi authorities in occupied Iraq 

Minister of Justice Hashim Al-Shilbi

Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki

President Jalal Talabani

Judge Medhat Al-Mahmoud, President of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq 

Cc: International Committee of the Red Cross

       UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

       UN representant in Iraq

       IRIN news agency

       Amnesty International

       Al-Jazeera, Reuters, BBC

 

 Dear Sir, 

The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (EALDH) is deeply concerned by reports of the conviction and imminent

execution of three women, Wassan Talib (31), Zainab Fadhil (25) and Liqa Omar Muhammad (26) after unfair trials during which they had no access to legal counsel and faced charges that cannot be brought in national courts in Iraq. 

All three are held in Baghdad's Al-Kadhimiya Prison. Two have small children. The 1-year-old daughter of Liqa was born in prison. All three women deny the charges brought against them. Amnesty International has highlighted their case in an "Urgent Alert": http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE140052007. 

Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad were reportedly all convicted under Article 156 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which reads: "Any person who willfully commits an act with intent to violate the independence of the country or its unity or the security of its territory and that act, by its nature, leads to such violation is punishable by death." 

Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad are accused of being part of - or taking part in - the Iraqi resistance. These are not charges that the Iraqi government can bring against any person.

International law affirms: "the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle" (UN General Assembly Resolution 37/43, adopted 3 December 1982). 

If these women are to be detained at all, international law demands that they be treated as combatants and prisoners of war. As POWs, all three women enjoy protected rights under the Third Geneva Convention. They cannot be tried and executed summarily. Strict conditions apply to their treatment in all respects. 

Once again, all three women deny the charges brought against them. 

In light of the above: 

We add the name of our Association to the many now demanding the immediate release of Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad. 

We add the name of our Association to the many who demand, as a minimum, that all three women are given immediate independent legal counsel, as is their right under international humanitarian law, whether treated as combatants (Article 99 of the Third Geneva Convention) or civilians (Article 113 of the Fourth Geneva Convention). Iraq and the United States, individually and severally, are also bound to the principles of international human rights law, including Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to fair trial. 

We add the name of our Association to the many who oppose completely the execution of Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad.

Their execution would not only be immoral and an outrage, it would be illegal under international law. The fact alone that they had no access to legal counsel makes their imminent execution "arbitrary", "summary" and "extra-judicial" by definitional legal standards. 

The international community rejects the use of the death penalty in all cases. We remind you that Article 3 of the UN Safeguards Guaranteeing Protection of the Rights of those Facing the Death Penalty (ECOSOC resolution 1984/50, adopted 25 May 1984) stipulates that the death penalty cannot be imposed on new mothers. Further, Article 5 demands that no death penalty be passed unless the legal process is competent and all due process rights are safeguarded, in particular by allowing defendants free and regular access to legal counsel. 

None of the women was able to consult a lawyer. Article 6 of the UN Safeguards guarantees that anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to appeal before a court of higher jurisdiction. Article 8 of the UN Safeguards demands that capital punishment shall not be carried out pending any appeal. 

EALDH also reminds you that holding detainees in an unsafe location is a violation of Article 85 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. 

In light of the above: 

We request immediate information on the well-being of Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad. 

We request information on the legal standing of Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad. 

We request detailed information on the charges Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad have faced and been convicted on. 

We await your timely reply to these requests. Kindly confirm the full names and dates of birth of Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Omar Muhammad in any communication. 

Sincerely, 

Thomas Schmidt (Secretary General)

Professor Bill Bowring (President) 

 

Sender:

EALDH European Association for Democracy and World Human Rights Thomas Schmidt (lawyer, EALDH-Secretary General) Platanenstrasse 13, DE - 40233 - Duesseldorf - PHONE 0049 - 211 - 444 001 MOBILE-PHONE 0049 - 172 - 68 10 888 FAX 0049 - 211 -444 027

email: [email protected]

internet: www.ealdh.org

The Italian Association of Democratic Lawyers strongly protests against the decision of an Iraqi tribunal to inflict death penalty on four young Iraqi women, Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah, aged about 25;  Wassan Talib aged 31; Zeynab Fadhil aged 25; Liqa’ Qamar aged 25.

We ask the Iraqi government to suspend immediately this execution becauses of the following reasons:

1. We in principle oppose the death penalty as an inhuman act which rans counter the most elementary norms of international law and particularly human rights and torture law;

2. The trial, following our informations, was conducted without a proper legal assistance;

3. The accusation are of a political nature and based on a very generic norm;

4. The accused have right to prisoner of war status following the Geneva Conventions and Protocols;

5. The actions for which the four women have been accused were committed in the framework of the Iraqi resistance against unlawful occupation of that country; a situation which calls for a political solution based on the immediate retreat of occupation forces and peace negotiations among different Iraqi groups and parties, in order to rebuild their country on the basis of national reconciliation.

Therefore we ask also the immediate liberation of the four Iraqi women and of all political prisoners.

We ask the Italian government and the European Union to intervene firmly in order to impede this crime.

Italian Association of Democratic Lawyers

Rome, February, the 19th, 2007

President Jalal Talabani

Qasr al-Ma’aridh

Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah

Bagdad

Irak

Brussels, February 27, 2007 

Your Excellency, 

On behalf of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), the largest coalition of women’s NGOs, consisting of 4000 associations in 25 Member States of the European Union, I am writing you to express our deep concerns about the situation of Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah, Wassan, Talib Zeynab Fadhil and Liqa Qamar. According to information from Amnesty International, Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah Wassan and Talib Zeynab Fadhil have been accused of murder; sentenced to death and are in imminent danger of execution. Liqa Qamar has been accused of kidnapping and sentenced to death. 

We strongly condemn the sentence against Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah, Wassan, Talib Zeynab Fadhil and Liqa Qamar and hereby urge you to revise their process. Especially, we are extremely concerned on Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah’s imminent execution. 

We are asking for further details of the exact charges maintained against each woman. Furthermore, the European Women’s Lobby in all circumstances is opposed to the death penalty, which we consider as the cruellest punishment, as it is inhuman and degrading, and constitutes a violation of the right to life. 

The European Women’s Lobby strongly asks you to undertake the following measures: 

EWL will monitor the situation carefully, and in the confident hope of your authoritative intervention we remain respectfully yours,

          Kirsti Kolthoff

President EWL 

Cc: Amnesty International, Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki, Minister of Justice Hashim al-Shibli, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebary.

Comunicato Stampa
 
Luisa Morgantini
Vicepresidente del Parlamento Europeo
 
Il governo iracheno sospenda la pena di morte inflitta a quattro giovani donne irachene
Si scelga la via della giustizia non la via della vendetta
�
19 Febbraio 2007
 
Il tribunale iracheno ha deciso di infliggere la pena di morte a quattro giovani donne irachene: Wassan Talib, 31 anni, Samar Sa�ad Abdullah, Zeynab Fadhil, Liqa Qamar, di 25 anni. Le accuse che le sono rivolte sono di natura politica e poco chiare, e da fonti attendibili il processo  stato condotto senza una adeguata assistenza legale.
 
Gi lesecuzione di Saddam Hussein stata lesiva di ogni diritto umano, lo stato non pu arrogarsi il diritto di uccidere. La pena capitale fa parte di una cultura di vendetta e non di una cultura della giustizia. Questo messaggio assume un risvolto ancora pi� profondo se applicato al contesto iracheno, dove dopo l�occupazione statunitense la cultura della vendetta regola la vita giorno dopo giorno, morti civili dopo morti civili, nelle strade, nelle piazze, nei mercati, nei luoghi di culto. Lo stato iracheno non pu� e non deve essere parte di questa spirale di violenza scaturita a partire dal 18 marzo del 2003.
 
Il Parlamento Europeo riunito in sessione plenaria a Strasburgo ha votato il 1 Febbraio scorso una risoluzione che chiede ai governi di applicare immediatamente e senza condizioni una moratoria universale sulle esecuzioni, in vista dell abolizione della pena di morte in tutto il mondo. Nessuno deve essere giustiziato e nessuno deve essere condannato a morte. Non pi. Questo importante appello deve essere accolto dai governi e dagli stati, la pena di morte e le esecuzioni devono essere fermate in nome del diritto umanitario internazionale, di una cultura della legalite del diritto alla vita di tutte e tutti.
 
Le accusate hanno diritto allo status di prigioniere di guerra secondo le Convenzioni ed i Protocolli di Ginevra. Chiedo al governo iracheno di applicare immediatamente il diritto internazionale e di sospendere l esecuzione di queste quattro giovani donne. Chiedo al governo iracheno di scegliere la via della giustizia e della legalit� per dare una risposta politica chiara all esigenza di una intera societ� civile che rivendica di poter vivere in pace, libert� e giustizia.
 

Per info:

 
Luisa Morgantini
Uff. 06 69950217
Cell. 348 3921465
Fax 06 69950200
 
protest against the executions, Sweden
 
Stop the execution of three Iraqi women!
They have been condemned to death by hanging.
Their execution is planned to take place on March 3rd.
 
The Iraq Solidarity Association in Stockholm encourages individuals and organisations to protest and to endorse the following statement.
 
     Stop the Execution of Three Iraqi Women!
 
The Supreme Criminal Court of Iraq has condemned three women to death by hanging. Their crimes have been labelled
“offences against the public welfare”. According to information from the Iraqi Lawyers Union the women have been identified as: Wassan Talib (31 years old ), Zainab Fadhil (25 years old) and Liqa Omar Mohammad (26 years old). None of the women have been allowed to consult with a lawyer during this sham trial. They deny their involvement in the “crimes” they are charged with.
Liqa Omar Mohammad has given birth to a daughter in prison, a girl who is now one year old, and Wassan Talib is the mother of a three year old girl. The three women and the children are being held in the Kadhimiya Prison in Baghdad.
 
Baghdad is a besieged city under attack by 110,000 American and Iraqi soldiers. This “battle for Baghdad” has been going on all summer, fall and this winter. For the civilian population it is a living hell. People are fleeing the country and almost two million are domestic refugees. They often have neither water nor electricity. No institutions function. The entire infrastructure of Iraq has been demolished. There is no recognized national judicial jurisdiction under occupation. The sentence passed against the three women is illegal and immoral. The women are accused of participating in the resistance against the brutal and unlawful occupation  They deny all charges and must be released. As long as they are kept in custody they must be entitled to all the rights accorded to them by international law as prisoners of war.
 
Amnesty International estimates that at least 65 people were executed in 2006. Many more, both men and women, await their execution. We demand that these death sentencies be declared void and nullified.
Read more: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE140052007
 
Repeal the death sentences against the Iraqi women!
Release the women now!
 
Georg Andersson, minister of immigration 1986-89
Jan Hjärpe, professor, Lund
Ulf Bjereld, professor, Göteborg
Marie Demker, professor, Göteborg
Olof Kleberg, former  chief editor
Jan-Erik Lundström, Bildmuséet Umeå
Jan Myrdal, writer
Gun Kessle, artist
Peter Curman, writer
Mariam Osman Sherifay, former parlamentary
Erik Wijk, writer, journalist, Stockholm
Anders Björnsson, writer, journalist, Stockholm
Ana Valdés, writer, journalist, Stockholm
Lennart Palm, Göteborg
Martin Linde, Göteborg
Bertil Ottoson, Amnesty
Eva Myrdal, chied editor FIB/K, Stockholm
Peter Hjukström, Mariefred
Association FIB-lawyers
Mike Powers, deputy headmaster, Stockholm
Henry Ascher, doctor m.d, Göteborg
Sköld Peter Matthis, doctor m.d, Stockholm
Maj Wechselmann, filmer, Stockholm
Greger Ahlberg, architect, Stockholm
Eftikhar Hashem Alhusainy, Stockholm
Muhmad Alrawi, Stockholm
Sigyn Meder, Stockholm
Vivi Löfstedt, Stockholm
Henrik Skrak, Malmö
Monika Björnson-Rzewuski, Saltsjöbaden
Iraq Solidarity Association in Stockholm
Peace Coalition, Uppsala
Network against War, Stockholm
Malmö Irakkommitté
Global Network for peace and Democracy,
Iraksolidaritet, Göteborg
WILPF: Göteborgskretsen, Anna-Lisa Björneberg
Trade Union board members: SSR Gunnared: Birgitta Holmström, Monica Anderberg, Camilla Bengtsson, Kjell Martinsson
Left Party Kronoberg enl. distriktsstyrelsebeslut 070221, Anna-Lisa Eneroth vice ordf. Lennart Rahm, Årsta
Clemens Lilliesköld, Uppsala
Camilla Ingman-Fulton, Umeå
Gunnel Karlsson, Stockholm
Bo Landgren, Stockholm
Olof Rydström, Stockholm
Laura Purdy, Saltsjö-Boo
Anna- Lena Pikas, Uppsala
Göran Holmberg, Stockholm
Ulf Bjerén, Karlskrona
Ingemar Norrlid, Karlskrona
Åke Andersson, Johannishus
Claes Jansson, Karlshamn,
Lars Jeppsson, Mörrum
Kark Petermann, Nättraby
Willy Söderdahl, Sölvesborg
Leif Törnqvist, Ronneby
Margareta Fryxell, Ronneby
Görrel Westander, Karlstad,
Ingemar Nilsson, metal worker, Luleå
Snorre Lindquist,arcitect,  Stockholm
Leif Erlingsson, Stockholm
Bror Kajsajuntti, Luleå
Kjell-Arne Johansson, Luleå
Åsa Johansson, Malmö
Alexandra Ellis, Umeå
Barbro Midbjer, Luleå
Pie Blume, Stockholm
Lidia Camacho
Anahi Camacho
Martin Camacho
Emmelie Camacho
Hector Falcionni
Andrea Camacho
Anna Heidenberg
Ingemar Mogren, teacher, Skärhamn
Rolf Viklund, Umeå
Barbro Ingman, Umeå
Ingalill Hansson, Luleå
Mattias Håberg, Kalix
Amanda Åberg, Varberg
Lisbeth Nilsson, Ljungskile
Seppo Isotalo, senior lecturer, Stockholm
Henrik Linde, Strängnäs
Ulla Hanström, Karlskrona
Ingegerd Johansson
Lennart Ohdström, Umeå
Christer Lundgren, Journalist, Stockholm
A protest took place 28 February in Stockholm against the executions.
It was very quickly arranged.
More than 100 hundred persons participated. In the last minute the protest that was supposed to take place in front of the Iraqi embassy, was transferred by the police to another street. Some people didn't find us.
It was a good meeting. You can read the appeal adopted by the meeting.

The meeting could also observe that the Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt was going to meet the The Iraqi occcupation foreign minister Zebari today at Foreign Office.

The meeting decided to send him immediately the appeal and demand from him that he defends the women and the other demands of the appeal.

He will probably not as he supports the occupation but he will be put under pressure.
We will distribute leaflets outside Foreign Office this afternoon, 1 March, when Carl Bildt is supposed to meet Zebari.

On saturday morning 3 March there will be 1 hour on Iraq from this meeting and from interview with Haifa Zangana some days ago when she talked in one of our seminars.
She got good publicity and talked about the executions in both the biggest liberal and conservative papers of Sweden.

CHILENAS LLAMAN A DETENER EJECUCIÓN DE TRES MUJERES IRAQUIES

 

Enviado el Martes, 27 febrero a las 12:42:13

Distintas organizaciones femeninas, sindicales y estudiantiles, llamaron hoy al gobierno chileno a interceda ante su homologo iraquí, para detener la ejecución de tres ciudadanas de esa nación árabe.

 

Las condenadas por el Tribunal Central de lo Criminal (TCC) por actividades de resistencia, a morir en la horca el 3 de marzo son:

Wassan Talib de 31 años, Zeynab Fadil de 25 años, detenida con su hija de 3 años y Liqa Qamar de 25 años, detenida con su hija nacida en prisión de 1 año de vida.

 

El abogado y miembro del Sindicato de Abogados Iraquíes, Salid Hayali, dijo que el TCC impidió que las tres mujeres acusadas de acciones de resistencia tuvieran asistencia jurídica por tratarse de delitos de seguridad. "Ellas se encuentran en la cárcel del barrio de Kadimiya, en Bagdad", reveló.

 

"Llamamos a conmovernos frente a la brutal decisión de condenar a la horca a tres mujeres de la resistencia iraquíes y a promover diversas iniciativas para impedir este crimen", señala un comunicado al que tuvo acceso Crónica Digital.

 

"Solicitamos a la ONU, Amnistía Internacional, a todas las organizaciones de Derechos Humanos y organizaciones Sociales en general a que actúen para detener estas condenas y principalmente la intervención del Gobierno Chileno y su Cancillería a actuar rápidamente antes del 8 de Marzo, día Internacional de la Mujer para salvar la vida de las tres mujeres Iraquíes", sostienen las feminas chilenas.

 

Organizaciones de defensa de los Derechos Humanos en Iraq han informado que en el año 2006 por lo menos dos mil mujeres estaban detenidas "por motivos de seguridad" en varias cárceles y centros de detención de ese país, tanto bajo control del Gobierno Iraquí como de las fuerzas de ocupación comandadas por Estados Unidos.

 

En el último informe de la ONU sobre Derechos Humanos en Iraq, hay 31 mil iraquíes oficialmente reconocidos en prisión, sin referirse al número de mujeres prisioneras.

 

El Gobierno interino de Iraq reinstauró la pena de muerte por diversos delitos en agosto del 2004. Según Amnistía Internacional, tras la reimplantación de la Pena de Muerte se ha llevado a cabo 3 ejecuciones en el año 2005 y al menos 65 personas fueron ejecutadas en el año 2006, entre ellos Sadam Hussein. El 15 de enero del 2007 dos altos representantes del depuesto gobierno de Irak fueron ejecutados.

 

Entre las firmantes del comunicado están:

Maria Rozas, vicepresidenta de la Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Chile,

Magdalena Castillo, Central Autónoma de Trabajadores,

Amalia Pereira, dirigente de Promepar,

Irene Celis, sindicato arzobispado de Santiago,

Pereira Coñoman, presidenta de la Confederación de Trabajadores Textiles,

Graciela Álvarez, presidenta de la rama de la Asociación de Juristas Latinoamericanos

Mireya Baltra, ex ministra del gobierno de presidente Salvador Allende.

 

Santiago de Chile, 27 de Febrero 2007

Crónica Digital

A LA OPINION PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

ORGANIZACIÓN DE MUJERES (MUPODER)

ASUNCION-PARAGUAY (SUD-AMERICA) 

Hace apenas unos días hemos estado celebrando el Día de la Mujer Paraguaya, en la que  se ha recordado con verdadera emoción a aquellas heroicas mujeres que en defensa de la soberanía nacional ofrendaron  su sacrificio y heroísmo ante la invasión extranjera. La Organización no Gubernamental, Mujeres por la Democracia y el Desarrollo (MUPODER) ante la triste noticia que hoy está recorriendo el mundo a través de los medios de comunicación de que tres mujeres iraquies, tres madres, tres ciudadanas que integran una organización que lucha contra la ocupación extranjera de su país (IRAK) serían ejecutadas el próximo 3 de marzo con la horca en Bagdad.

MUPODER, aún respetando la legislación de cada país, cree que los paraguayos y paraguayas que pertenecemos a este país que fue víctima de los dolorosos hechos de ocupación territorial, no podemos permanecer indiferentes ante las amenazas al derecho a la vida, razón por la que lanzamos a través de MUPODER , nuestra oposición a actitudes fuera del marco de la civilización invi a sumar las voces de protesta ante tan aberrante condena, llamando a la reflexión en defensa de la vida, por la Paz Mundial.

                                                   Lilian Fleitas Heisecke

                                                        Coordinadora de Turno
Actions in Germany and Turkey

Statement in Turkish of women from "Democratic Women's Movement" in Germany

http://www.adhk.de/html/anasayfa/bekleyen%20kadinlar.html

24 February : In front of the Dome in Cologne. at 11:00 am and at the same time in Frankfurt-center.
They will erect a scaffold and have a woman with a rope around her neck at the scaffold. There will be a press statement. And there is a signature campaign.

28 February: There will be a demonstration in front of the Iraq Embassy in Berlin (Riemeisterstr. 20). Time: 11.00 am.

In Ankara.
There was a demonstration organized by women in front of Iraq Embassy..  I am trying to get their e-mail address.

In Istanbul.. There was a demonstration on Feb. 27. with candles. Telegraphs were sent to Iraq Embassy in Anqara, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, Foreign Affairs Minister, Speaker of Parliament and Head of the Human Rights Commission in the Parliament.
(I sent you the texts of all).
contacts. "meric eyuboglu" <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]>, "melek özman" <[email protected]>
communiqué des organisations de femmes de l' umt/rabat (Maroc)
 
non à l'exécution des 3 femmes irakiennes

les organisations de femmes de l'umt/rabat , (Maroc)
l'organisation de la femme ouvrière, (Maroc)
l'union des femmes fonctionnaires, (Maroc)
l'org de la femme du secteur agricole,'Maroc)
le comité de la femme/redal, (Maroc)
le comité de la femme/cnops  (Maroc)
 
- déclarent leur soutien aux 3 femmes irakiennes détenues à la prison kadimya à bagdad
- demandent l'arrêt immédiat du jugement inique consistant en leur mise à mort par pendaison
- déclarent leur soutien à la résistance irakienne contre la colonisation
- appellent toutes les forces vives du pays à une action urgente pour dénoncer & arrêter l'application du jugement à l'encontre des 3 résistantes
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Grève de la faim de 24 heures et Rassemblement devant le siège de l'ONU le lundi 5 mars en protestation contre la condamnation à mort par pendaison de trois jeunes irakiennes

Vous trouverez le communiqué en français et en arabe en fichier attaché. Le Secrétariat de la Marche mondiale des femmes au Maroc annonce sa décision d'organiser une grève de la faim de 24 heures le lundi 5 mars à partir de 10 heures du matin et d'organiser un rassemblement devant le siège de l'ONU le même jour à 18 heures pour protester contre la condamnation à mort par pendaison de

1- Ouasin TALEB - 31 ans, fonctionnaire

2- Zineb FADEL – 25 ans, ouvrière

3- Liqae OMAR MOHAMED – 26 ans, fonctionnaire

Les trois irakiennes sont emprisonnées avec leurs enfants à la prison Kademia de Bagdad et sont accusées de « crimes contre la sécurité générale ». Elles ont été jugées sans assistance d'un avocat et ont été condamnées malgré qu'elles aient nié l'accusation.

Le Secrétariat de la Marche Mondiale des Femmes au Maroc, convaincu que l'occupation est une forme de dictature et que la résistance à l'occupation est un droit légitime

1- exprime son indignation devant ce jugement inique prononcé sous occupation américaine de l'Irak et exige l'annulation de ce jugement et la libération de toutes les prisonnières et de tous les prisonniers politiques

2- affirme son soutien à la résistance des femmes irakiennes, torturées, agressées sexuellement, contre l'occupation des Etats-Unis et de leurs alliés

3- annonce une grève de la faim de 24 heures qui commencera le

lundi 5 mars à 10 heures du matin et se terminera le lendemain à la même heure au siège du Syndicat National de la Presse du Maroc (avenue Moulay Abdellah- Rabat) ainsi qu'un rassemblement devant le siège de l'ONU à 18h le lundi 5 mars 2007.

4- Appelle toutes les organisations féministes et des droits humains ainsi que toutes les personnes motivées à rejoindre cette initiative pour empêcher ces exécutions.

Secrétariat de la Coordination de la Marche Mondiale des Femmes au Maroc

info: http://fr.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-BdntC4sieq.q4gwdjgqNb0t3J9oh?p=744

This is a last minute news we have seen on a Turkish news site. The URL is below. (02 March 2007)

http://www.internethaber.com/news_detail.php?id=71635

In general, it says Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Nuri El Maliki in the morning about this crime and wanted a more fair judgement process for these 3 women. And as a result, Maliki promised he would pay attention to this case.
 

Letter from Ann Clwyd, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq, UK

Dear xxxxxxx, 

I am writing in relation to your email regarding the cases of Samar Sa'ad Abdullah, Wassan Talib, Zeynab Fadhil, and Liqa' Qamar, who have been sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq.   

I am against the use of the death penalty under any circumstances or in any cases, and am also concerned by allegations that the trials of the women concerned were inconsistent with international human rights standards.   I have written to the Iraqi authorities in my capacity as Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq, outlining my concerns and calling for an investigation into the circumstances of the trials.  In addition, the UK, together with the European Union, raises our opposition to the death penalty on a regular basis with the Iraqi authorities.  On 15th February representations were made by European Union representatives to the Iraqi authorities not to sentence the women in question to death. 

With best wishes 

Ann Clwyd 

Rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP

Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq 

Actions in Greece

Yesterday, 02 March, a delegation met with the President of Greek Parliament. She said that the troika of EU intervened against the execution of three women in Iraq. We cannot check this information.


The delegation asked from Mrs Anna Psarouda Benaki, president of Greek Parliament to intervene. She said that she will inform all political parties in order to bring the issue in the parliament.When we opposed by saying there is no time she replied that "executions will not proceed immediately but they will be postponed". We do not know how well informed was she about the case to replly in this way, with some certainty for postponement of the executions. If this is not the case this would be a great scandal.


Then we visited the offices of minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Dora Bakoyianni and gave her the international petition and a letter demanding from her immediate intervention. No reply yet.
members od the delegation were: Anna Karamanou, ex member of European Parliament, Marina Dizi, ex member of Parliament, Emilia Tziva, Athens Labor Centre, Sotiria Dalla, Hospital Workers Union, Petros Constantinou, Stop the War Coalition

www.stop-the-war.gr

Encampment Women Confront the Iraqi Embassy in Washington
Les Blough, Axis of Logic Editor
Encampment Women Petition the Iraqi Embassy to free 3 Iraqi women sentenced to death by hanging. (Photo: Axis of Logic)

 

March 14, 2007
 

This report is an account of one of several actions carried out by the Encampment Against the War today. LeiLani Dowell and Namwiinga Simwiinga-Khumalo led a delegation of 12 women to the Iraqi Embassy to protest the new, U.S.-backed Iraqi government's decision to hang 3 Iraqi women, Wassan Talib, Zainab Fadhil and Liqa Muhammad for their resistance to the U.S. occupation. The women were sentenced to hang on March 3rd for carrying out successful military operations against the U.S. military and Iraqi police. One of them gave birth to a child and is now nursing the baby in prison. There has been a total corporate media blackout on these death sentences. However, the alternative internet media brought massive international pressure upon the U.S. and Iraqi governments and the women were given a temporary reprieve.

he delegation of women from the Encampment to Stop the War arrived at the Iraqi Embassy at 2:50 p.m March 15, 2007. They broke out placards and began marching in a circle in front of the embassy. Passing motorists saw their placards and honked horns of support. They caused enough of a raucous to cause people inside the embassy began looking out their windows. Two Secret Service men approached the women. The SS asked them what they were doing there. LeiLani Dowell told them they were there to protest the war in Iraq and the hanging of these women. She told them they came from the Encampment to Stop the War to present petitions to the Iraqi Ambassador, seeking the freedom of the women. She told them they chose to come at this time because their mission is a matter of live and death  and because March 8 happens to be International Working Women�s Day and March is International Women's Month.
 
The Secret Service told the women, "Historically the embassy does not accept material petitions  only via e-mails and letters. You cannot go inside the embassy." The women replied that the embassy has already received tens of thousands of emailed petitions about the death sentence of these 3 women from the international campaign for their freedom and has been completely unresponsive. Realizing that today's delegation of women were not going to go away, the Secret Service agreed to talk to someone inside the embassy. He returned to tell them someone inside would come out to talk with them. The women continued to conduct their protest and eventually a man came out to speak with them. He identified himself as Rafi Ahmad, Assistant to the Ambassador. He told the women he would accept their petition outside the building but would not allow them to enter. LeiLani Dowell told him, "We want to be clear against the death penalty and the first thing the new Iraqi government did was to establish the death penalty. She told him that were it not for international pressure, his government would have hanged these 3 courageous women on March 3rd. Another member of the delegation told him that they came to Washington from across the United States to present their petition but the ambassador wouldn't even let them into the building. Mr. Ahmad only replied with a terse, "Thank you". Ms. Dowell asked him, "What are you going to do with the petitions? "Send them back home, he replied. Ms. Namwiinga Simwiinga-Khumalo told Mr. Ahmad that it is disrespectable to keep visitors in the street. She told him that the Iraqi Ambassador is in the United States to help resolve international issues, that this is definitely international in scope and that he is not fulfilling his diplomatic responsibilities. She told him his refusal to invite them into "his house" to receive the petitions and discuss these urgent matters was completely undiplomatic. When asked about meeting with an alternative top-level official, since he claimed the ambassador was not present at the Embassy, Mr. Ahmad replied that nobody else was in the Embassy�despite the fact that the women had seen several people peeping outside the Iraqi embassy windows while the protest went on.
 
 Copyright 2007 by AxisofLogic.com
 

Letter from Tahrir Numan to Ann clwyd, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in Iraq, UK (30 May 2007)

 

Dear Ms Clwyd,

 

Many thanks for responding to our message to you dated 12th March. we are writing to you again as the British prime minister's envoy for human rights in Iraq.

 

We would be very interested in becoming familiar with Human Rights Training Materials offered by the British authorities that you referred to in your reply. How do we go about obtaining them?

 

1) On the question we raised in our last communication, regarding rape and accountability in Iraq, we have not heard about any action being taken neither by the occupiers nor by ‘the government’ regarding the rape of Iraqi women that would inspire us with hope and confidence. The truth remains that when raped Iraqi women have no one to turn to. I personally have written to an Iraqi woman member of the seemingly helpless parliament asking her, if any of her female relations were raped who does she turn to? But answer came none! Moreover no enforceable measures and safe guards have been introduced to deter police, army and security forces from abusing their power and to hold them accountable for their action. We fear the cases of Matiri, Al Janabi , Wijda (we referred to in our last communication) and the subsequent cases of women coming forwards to protest their rape by government forces were only the tip of the iceberg.

 

2) We note with puzzlement, that Dr. Ali Shammari, the recently resigned Iraqi health minister under whose watch Baghdad hospitals became an arena for sectarian murders has sought asylum in the US. Under this man’s watch, women had to take up the task of identifying and collecting dead bodies from Baghdad’s morgue, as their men folk would be either arrested or murdered by the militia loyal to the minister if they attempted to do so.

Patrick Cockburn: Hospitals now a battleground in the bloody civil war

 

3) We thank you for writing on behalf of the four Iraqi women facing execution. We are writing to you again on their behalf . Zainab Fadhil,Wassan Talib and Liqa Omar Muhammad according to a Human Rights NGO: ” The trial of Wassan and Zeinab allegedly lasted 25 minutes with no evidence or witnesses presented. Wassan, Zeinab and Liqa deny the charges brought against them”.

 

We understand that Fadhil’s sentence has been commuted to five years in prison for "failing to inform the authorities and withholding information related to the killing of members of the Iraqi security forces".

This is hardly fair as the government fails to protect the people yet it has these harsh demands on them. So citizenship is now a burden with no rights it seems.

How does this compare with the crime committed by members of the Iraqi police, who stood by and watched as 17 year old Yazidi teenager Doua was stoned to death on the 7th April 2007 in the town of Baashiqua north of Mousel? They were only arrested after the video of Doua’s stoning became widely available on the internet. The condemnation of this barbaric murder and subsequent action only came from the government and Yazidi religious authorities on the 28th April after the story hit the international headlines.

Relatives arrested for cellphone 'honor killing'

•  Brutal killing caught on cellphone (video)

 

The other two (Wassan Talib and Liqa Omar Muhammad) are still facing execution. Considering that the trials in Iraqi courts are failing to meet the minimum international standards of fairness,  the death penalty should be scrapped.

 

As to Samar Saad AbdulMajid (Abdulla) CNN broadcasted a report on her behalf

 

and on the condition of women inside Kadhumiya women prison.

 

 The accompanying report by CNN confirms Amnesty's concerns on confessions extracted under torture and used as evidence against the accused.

 

AI: Unjust and unfair- The death penalty in Iraq

 

CNN’s report confirms that Samar, was a reluctant accomplice in the murders (she was dragged with a gun pointing to her head), the perpetrator according to Amnesty has been arrested. Samar’s initial confession was extracted after severe beatings. Will anyone be held accountable for failing to prevent the crime of torture by government forces?

 

We call on you to use the influence of your good offices on the Iraqi government to press for retrial for these  four women. This is especially that Fadhil and Muhammad are mothers of young children (one and three year old).

 

4) As the security situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate many people who can, are heading for the borders. The BBC World Service had a special week on Iraq last month.

It seems that people have two choices, pay a facilitator to follow the passport application (up to $600 per passport) or queue up in this dangerous part of Baghdad for weeks on end and pay $100-$150 (too expensive by the standards of the majority of people in Iraq). At the end of all this one might end up with a passport that the government has just scrapped due to a big scandal in the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden where over 26,000 Iraqi passports were granted to non Iraqis according to Swedish sources.

 

To top it all, now the interior minister Mr. Jawad Boulani decided that women are only allowed to have a passport with the agreement of ‘her guardian’. Considering that a report released by the justice ministry on the 21st May 2007  stating that 100 women become widows and 400 children become orphans in Iraq every day and considering that according to the UNHCR, at least 30% of the refugee households are headed by females- they will not be allowed to stay in countries like Syria and Jordan without a valid passport. The government is not only failing to protect the people, it is also making their lives a misery and preventing them from fleeing for their lives. We ask you to press the Iraqi government to drop this ruling which  incompatible wit the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women - Iraqi ratification 1986

 

5) While the world is busy discussing the kidnapping of foreign nationals in Iraq, ordinary Iraqis are kidnapped and murdered everyday. Almost every Iraqi I know is affected by this problem. We would like however to attract your attention to the illegal kidnapping of Ihude Ahmed Zidan from her house in Madaen south of Baghdad by the American forces on the 29th May who arrested her in lieu of her husband. This is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. We would urge you to intervene and press for her immediate release. It is practices such as these that fuel acts of revenge. We urge you to write to the US commanders regarding this practice as this crime of kidnapping women by the US army is not the first of its kind. Mrs Wassan was also arrested by US forces when they failed to find a male relative in her house (street number 20 in Ramady on Friday 9th March 2007).

 

Are these kidnappings of women part of the training programme for the Iraqi government forces, the US claims it is undertaking in Iraq? 

http://www.al-sharq.com/DisplayArticle.aspx?xf=2007,May,article_20070529_363&id=worldtoday&sid=arabworld  report published in the London Based Al Sharq in Arabic.

 

We appreciate your help and cooperation on the matters we raised above.

 

 Best regards

 

 

Tahrir Swift

Solidarity for Independent and Unified Iraq.

6 Ridgeway Crescent Gardens

Orpington

Kent

BR6 9QH

01689 602748