The UN report

Andreas Mavrommatis, special rapporteur on Iraq, reported to the Human Rights Commission on his human rights mission, the first authorized by the United Nations to Iraq since 1992. He met Bakhtiar Amin, director of the International Alliance for Justice in Iraq, who reported that the Iraqi government had executed 4,000 people since1998. The International Alliance for Justice has conducted extensive interviews with Iraqi refugees in both Jordan and Syria. Refugees also spoke of the beheading of 130 women between June 2000 and April 2001. According to AFP, the beheadings were part of the Iraqi government´s battle against prostitution. At least three of the women - Jinan al-Na´imi, Naja Muhammad Sadar, and ´Afaf Isma´il - were doctors, according to information obtained from the PUK´s Bureau of Human Rights, and a fourth, Wajiha Sabir Muhammad, was a medical assistant. (Sources: IPR 21/04/2002)
November 6, 2002: at the Third Committee Andreas Mavrommatis, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iraq, introduced his interim report to the General Assembly and limited himself to briefly considering few issues, among them: the list of crimes that currently carried the death penalty; the list of executions carried out in Iraq during 2000 and 2001; the prison conditions and reform. Before concluding, he urged the Iraqi Government to provide him with all additional information requested in relation to the death penalty; to implement a moratorium on executions; to put an end to actions and policies which directly or indirectly affected or encouraged religious intolerance; to abolish the special courts; and ensure that all legislation, decrees and practices were consistent with Iraq´s freely undertaken obligations under international human rights instruments. (Sources: M2 Presswire, 06/11/2002)