Iraq will restore the death penalty after the return of sovereignty later this month

Iraq will restore the death penalty after the return of sovereignty later this month, in a measure which could affect ousted leader Saddam Hussein, Iraqi justice minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan told AFP on Sunday. "The death penalty is suspended in Iraq but with the return of sovereignty, nothing obliges to maintain this suspension. We want to re-institute it for very specific cases," he said. The death penalty was suspended in Iraq by then US Central Command chief General Tommy Franks in April 2003, as the US-led coalition invaded the country and toppled Saddam's regime. "Under Saddam Hussein, there were some 120 crimes punishable by death but we are going to narrow it down to those who, for instance, were responsible for mass graves or plundering the country's oil wealth," the minister said. When asked specifically about the fate of the jailed Saddam, he said: "Some people ask me if Saddam Hussein can escape a death sentence. For me, his case is very simple. He was the head of the armed forces and he deserted. According to his own laws, his crime is already punishable by death."