Iraqi judiciary sentenced the eighth French for IS joining
Criminal court in Baghdad sentenced to death an eighth French out of 12 who were transferred from Syria to Iraq on charges of IS joining, as AFP reported.
The court sentenced the French Fadel Taher Uweidat (32 years old) after he objected the verdict justifying that he confessed under torture, what the medical report denied.
Uweidat moved to Syria with 22 members of his family, according to French judgment, he was beaten by investigators “to confess what they had wanted him to.”
Uweidat revealed bruises on his back prompting the judge to send him for doing medical examination and postponed his trial until June 2nd.
A prosecutor said that an Iraqi court had sentenced two French after found guilty of IS joining, as quoted by Reuters.
SDF had handed Uweidat along with other 10 Frenchmen and 2 Tunisians.
Iraqi counter-terrorism law provides death penalty for anyone convicted to joining extremist organizations even if he didn’t take part in fighting.
An Iraqi local TV reported from a source that “there is a 9th French about to be judged.”
Furthermore, Iraqi judiciary had sentenced to death, earlier, 7 French on charges of IS joining.
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday that Paris had done “necessary procedures” to Iraqi authorities to remind them its objection to death penalty.
After Iraq announced lately its readiness to judge foreign extremists who have been captured in Iraq and Syria especially those who were under SDF grip, several human rights organizations expressed their anxiety about grabbing confessions from them under torture in Iraq.
For its part, non-governmental Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that trials are being held before “violated judicial systems”. In its report, HRW confirmed that “It documented Iraqi investigators use of several methods of torture, such as beating on their feet and sinking in water.”
NPA