Iraq
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary democracy
- CONSTITUTION
- ratified on October 15, 2005 (currently under review by the Constitutional Committee and likely to be subject to a referendum in the future)
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on European civil law and Islamic law
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- Council of Representatives
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- according to the constitution, the federal judiciary includes the High Judicial Council, the Federal Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Cassation, the Public Prosecutor's Department, the Judicial Oversight Commission, and other federal courts
RELIGIONS
97% Muslims; Christian and Hindu minorities
From the country
- MARCH 9, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. 13 INSURGENTS HANGED
Iraqi authorities hanged 13 insurgents, marking the first time militants had been executed in the country since Saddam Hussein was ousted, the government said.
- MARCH 1, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. SADDAM ADMITS ORDERING EXECUTIONS
Saddam Hussein admitted in court that he gave orders that led to the execution of Shi'ite Muslims in the 1980s, but justified the punishment as his right as Iraq's president.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. DEATH SQUAD PROBE
Iraq’s Interior Ministry launched an investigation into claims that a police death squad had been operating in the country.
- FEBRUARY 1, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. SADDAM'S DEFENCE SAYS NO COURT UNTIL JUDGE RESIGNS
the chief lawyer in the defence team representing former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said that the defence would not appear in court until newly selected chief judge Raouf Abdel Rahman resigned.
- JANUARY 3, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. SADDAM HUSSEIN PREFERS DEATH BY FIRING SQAD, REPORT
former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein told two of his lawyers that if he was sentenced to death for war crimes, he would rather die by firing squad than by hanging, The Washington Times said.
- JANUARY 1, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.