Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari

IRAQ. FOURTEEN CONDEMNED INMATES ON DEATH ROW, PRIME MINISTER

October 22, 2005: fourteen condemned prisoners sit on death row in Iraq following the execution on September 1 of three for terror activities, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari told reporters.
"Fourteen people who have been condemned to death await the president's signature on their decree," Jaafari said, while the case of three others "is being reviewed to ensure the verdict is fair".
Three members of the Islamist group Ansar al-Sunna, close to Al Qaeda, were condemned to death in late May for organising violent attacks and were hung on September 1.
Jaafari said the "judgement of terrorists was not taking place as quickly as hoped" and that more judges were needed to speed up the process. Asked if he would allow victims families to attend executions, the prime minister said: "Victims' relatives are now authorised to attend the execution which takes place in a closed room if they ask to do so and are adults." (Sources: Agence France Presse, 22/10/2005)