Spanish government "concerned" for use of death penalty in Iraq

 

Spanish government "concerned" for use of death penalty in Iraq

The Spanish government reiterates that “the use of the death penalty in Iraq is of particular concern to the Government. Spain maintains a firm position against the death penalty and rejects it in all cases and circumstances."

The Spanish government has responded in writing to the question moved by senators Gorka Elejabarrieta Diaz (Euskal Herria Bildu) and Jordi Marti Deulofeu (Esquerra Republicana) regarding the death penalty handed out to Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ.

In its answer the government said: “Spain closely follows the situation of Human Rights in Iraq, both in its bilateral relations and in the framework of the European Union and multilateral forums, mainly through the different mechanisms for monitoring and protecting them, in coherence with our international commitments and the priority nature of human rights in our foreign policy.”

The Spanish government reiterates that “the use of the death penalty in Iraq is of particular concern to the Government. Spain maintains a firm position against the death penalty and rejects it in all cases and circumstances, regardless of the crime committed, considering it a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, contrary to the dignity of the human being, with irreparable effects on case of judicial error and that lacks dissuasive effects on criminal behavior.”

The Spanish executive added that “the fight against the death penalty is one of the priorities of Spain's foreign policy regarding human rights” and repeated its call for “a moratorium, as an intermediate step to achieve the abolition that constitutes the final objective.”

The Spanish government also said that “in line with these objectives, Spain has had the opportunity to convey to the Iraqi authorities its concern about the use of the death penalty. In the framework of the most recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Iraq, in November 2019, and in line with the recommendation already made in the previous UPR of Iraq, in 2014, Spain recommended the adoption of legislative reforms aimed at restricting the application of the death penalty to the most serious crimes.”

Finally the government said that “Spain coordinates its action with the European Union and the rest of the member states in monitoring and opposing the use of the death penalty in Iraq, among others, within the framework of mechanisms such as the EU-Iraq Human Rights and Democracy Subcommittee, whose last meeting took place on September 8.

Furthermore, pursuant to the European Union Guidelines on the death penalty, the European Union closely monitors the use of the death penalty in Iraq and carries out, where appropriate, actions on behalf of all Member States. In this context, it is also worth mentioning the Statement of November 19 by the Spokesperson for the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy condemning the twenty-one executions that had taken place a few days earlier in Al Hoot prison

EH Bildu-E. Republicana Senators table question about Er and Dağ

Senators of the Parliamentary Group Esquerra Republicana – Euskal Herria Bildu at the Spanish Parliament have tabled a question to the Spanish Government about the death sentence handed out to Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ in South Kurdistan.

Senators Gorka Elejabarrieta Diaz (Euskal Herria Bildu) Jordi Marti Deulofeu (Esquerra Republicana) have presented to the Spanish Government a question regarding the death penalty handed out to Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ.

The Senators of the Parliamentary Group Esquerra Republicana – Euskal Herria Bildu presented the following question demanding a written answer:

“On February 11 this year, Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ were sentenced to death by the Second Chamber of the Erbil Criminal Court in the Autonomous Region of Iraqi Kurdistan, governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal on September 22.

The two Kurdish citizens, together with two other people, are accused of the killing of the Turkish vice consul Osman Köse in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan on 17 July 2019 in Erbil.

Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ denied any responsibility for the murder and denounced being tortured during interrogation, as well as being subjected to continuous violence in prisons where they are held in solitary confinement. The two Kurdish citizens refused to sign a prepared confession presented to them by the authorities.

The European Union had already asked the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in

2015 to reinstate the moratorium on the death penalty, after the execution of three people in August of that same year.

In these 5 years, relations, including economic ones, between the European Union and the KGR have intensified. The European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirmed, on October 10, 2020, World Day Against the Death Penalty, their "opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances" and renewed their "call for the universal abolition of the death penalty. "

In the context of deep political, economic and cultural relations and sharing the values ​​of peace, justice and human rights among the institutions and citizens of the European Union and the KRG, and considering the death penalty as the most flagrant institutionalized violation of human rights, it is essential to appeal for the annulment of the death penalty against Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ.

In this regard, we ask the government the following question:

- Has this government taken an interest in the case of Abdurrahman Er and Mazlum Dağ before international human rights organizations?

- Would this government be in a position to express its concern about this case in the European institutions?"