IRAQ. GOVERNMENT DOES ABOUT TURN ON ISSUE OF INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

March 4, 2005: only a week since announcing the intention of adhering to the Statute of Rome and thus also to the International Court of Justice, the provisional government of Iraq announced the withdrawal of such an initiative with a new decree, stated the Italian group No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ).
"After expressing satisfaction for the brave initiative on behalf of Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi, underlining the importance such a decision would have made for the Middle East, we need to now take into consideration the about-turn of the provisional Iraqi government," stated NPWJ.
"We believe that the issue has not come to an end. We hope that the possibility of adhering to the statute of the ICJ can be taken into consideration once the new government is in power and following the adoption of the new constitution.
"No Peace WIthout Justice will continue working in favour of democracy in the Misddle East and for the promotion of an international body, such as the International Court of Justice, which we believe to be necessary and an efficient measure in preventing crimes such as the ones seen in recent years in Iraq".
The International Court of Justice excludes all recourse to the death penalty. (Sources: NPWJ, 04/03/2005)