Iraq
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 1
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In mid-January, Col
- News items in the archive
- 866
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Iraq is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 1 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 866 news items on Iraq, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- MARCH 15, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. DEATH SENTENCE FOR SADDAM DEPUTY UPHELD
an Iraqi court unanimously upheld the death sentence by hanging against Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam Hussein's former deputy.
- MARCH 15, 2007JordanDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN ORDERS FOUR IRAQI REBELS HANGED
a Jordanian military court sentenced Ziyad Karbouli...
- MARCH 14, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. GOVERNMENT WANTS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY - MINISTER
The government of Iraq wants to abolish the death penalty, its human rights minister said. The first step
- MARCH 10, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NASIRIYA
A court in Nasiriya sentenced two Iraqis to death for murder and kidnapping.
- MARCH 2, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. EXECUTIONS PUT ON HOLD
efforts to stop the imminent execution of three Iraqi women seem to have had an effect, as the executions of
- FEBRUARY 27, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST THREE YOUNG IRAQI WOMEN
the National Lawyers Guild International Committee (NLG-IC) has received information that an Iraqi Tribunal has convicted and sentenced three young Iraqi women to death for terrorism offences.
- FEBRUARY 21, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. REPORT: 235 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 2006
the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that, in 2006, Iraqi courts sentenced 235 persons to death
- FEBRUARY 12, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. FORMER SADDAM VP SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Iraqi High Court sentenced Saddam Hussein's former vice president to death by hanging, despite appeals from UN officials and international human rights groups.
- FEBRUARY 11, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ SAYS IT EXECUTED 14 CONVICTED TERRORISTS
The Iraqi government said 14 convicted terrorists were executed for murder, kidnappings and rape in five of
- FEBRUARY 11, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
COUNCIL OF EUROPE SLAMS DEATH SENTENCE OF FORMER IRAQI VP
the death sentence of former Iraqi vice president Ramadan is "regrettable" and will likely inflame the situation in Iraq, the Council of Europe said.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. THREE WOMEN RECEIVE EXECUTION ORDERS IN BAGHDAD
three Iraqi women were handed execution
- FEBRUARY 8, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
U.N. RIGHTS CHIEF ARGUES FOR SADDAM AIDE
the U.N. human rights chief filed an unprecedented legal challenge with Iraq's highest court against a possible death sentence for one of Saddam Hussein's former deputies.
- FEBRUARY 7, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. TWO IRAQIS EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
the Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded two Iraqi men, Jabbar Karim Saeed Abu Alya and Ali Hamza
- JANUARY 31, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCES FOR NINE CONVICTED OF TERRORISM ANNOUNCED IN MOSUL
the Iraqi Central Criminal Court in the northern city of Mosul announced the death sentences of nine people convicted of terrorist offences...
- JANUARY 23, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER DEFENDS EXECUTIONS
following talks with his Italian counterpart, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari defended the execution of Saddam Hussein and other former Iraqi officials, which prompted Italy to lead a push for a worldwide moratorium against the death penalty.
- JANUARY 16, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
BUSH: IRAQ “FUMBLED” SADDAM EXECUTION, MADE IT LOOK LIKE REVENGE KILLING
President Bush said the Iraqi government had "fumbled"
- JANUARY 15, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. SADDAM HALF BROTHER AND EX-OFFICIAL HANGED
Saddam Hussein's half brother and the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court were hanged today. A government spokesman said the head of one of the accused, Barzan Ibrahim, had been severed during the hanging.
- JANUARY 10, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. PRESIDENT URGES DELAY SADDAM CASE EXECUTIONS
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the government should delay the execution of two of Saddam Hussein’s
- JANUARY 9, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCE IN THE TRIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN’S CO-DEFENDANT
the Iraqi appeals court said that Taha Yassin Ramadan, former Iraqi vice president’s life sentence was too lenient, and returned his case to the High Tribunal for reconsideration.
- JANUARY 8, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
UK. BROWN: SADDAM'S EXECUTION 'COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE'
British Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown condemned the hanging of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein as "deplorable" and "completely unacceptable", the BBC reported.
- JANUARY 8, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
UK. BLAIR SAYS VIDEO OF SADDAM EXECUTION "DEPLORABLE"
Tony Blair has backed the Iraqi government's announcement of an inquiry into the circumstances of the execution of Saddam Hussein.
- JANUARY 8, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
SADDAM LAWYERS CLAIM HIS BODY WAS ABUSED, APPEAL TO UN
a member of Saddam Hussein's legal team said that she intends on suing the Iraqi government at the International Court of Justice over the taunting of the former leader by executioners on the gallows.
- JANUARY 7, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
NEW U.N. CHIEF AGAIN URGES STAY OF IRAQI EXECUTIONS
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, dogged by charges he was softening UN opposition to capital punishment, weighed in again on the issue on January 6, urging a stay of executions in Iraq.
- JANUARY 5, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN RIGHTS PANEL URGES END TO ALL EXECUTIONS IN IRAQ
the Council of Europe appealed to Iraq to immediately stop all executions, describing the death penalty as a human rights violation.
- JANUARY 5, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
GERMANY UNDERLINES EU OPPOSITION TO DEATH PENALTY BEFORE IRAQ EXECUTIONS
the European Union's current leader, Germany, stressed the EU's opposition to the death penalty before Iraq's planned execution of two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants.
- JANUARY 3, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ URGED TO REPRIEVE SADDAM AIDES
Louise Arbour, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, appealed to Iraq not to execute two senior aides to Saddam Hussein.
- JANUARY 3, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
UN CHIEF BACKS CALL AGAINST SADDAM AIDES' EXECUTIONS
UN chief Ban Ki-moon backs the top UN human rights official's call for Iraq to refrain from executing two aides of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
- JANUARY 2, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN DAILY DENOUNCES IMAGES OF SADDAM'S HANGING AS `SPECTACLE'
the Vatican's official newspaper decried media images of Saddam Hussein's hanging as a “spectacle” violating human rights and harming efforts to promote reconciliation in Iraq. The Vatican, which opposes the death penalty...
- JANUARY 2, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTY
NEW UN CHIEF KEEPS DISTANCE FROM DEATH PENALTY BAN
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon departed from the traditional UN opposition to the death penalty...
- JANUARY 1, 2007IraqDEATH 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.