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, his spokeswoman said. Spokeswoman Michele Montas said Ban, who declined on January 2 to condemn or defend Saddam's hanging, "respects" the right of individual nations to have their own positions on the death penalty. But Montas added: "The Secretary-General strongly believes in the wisdom of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Montas noted that there was no consensus among UN members on abolishing the death penalty. "The secretary general is of course aware of the ongoing debate concerning a total ban on the death penalty," she said.
"Until the matter is resolved, he respects the right of member states to have their own position on it."
However, she added: "His opinion is that we should press for the abolition of capital punishment but it should be a slow process".