The Kurdistan National Assembly building, Erbil

IRAQ. KURDISTAN REGION'S JUSTICE MINISTER 'WANTS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY'

May 29, 2008: the autonomous northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan's justice minister, Faruq Jamil, told campaign group Amnesty International he wants to abolish the death penalty, according to an unnamed ministry source.
Jamil met a delegation from Amnesty, which is currently on a fact-finding mission to Kurdistan to assess alleged human rights abuses and the legal status of prisoners in the region's jails.
"He also told members of the delegation about positive developments and the abolition of many by-laws," said the justice ministry source. "The justice ministry has been amending dozens of criminal laws since 1991 to bring these in line with international human rights standards," the source added. The Kurdistan region's human rights minister, Shirwan Aziz is currently working on a bill to limit the application of the death penalty together with a commission from the regional parliament and several international organisations. (Sources: AKI, 29/05/2008)