(Baghdad, April 17, 2018) – According to a Ministry of Justice statement on April 16, Iraqi authorities executed 13 people, at least 11 of them on counterterrorism charges. Iraq has long had one of the highest number of executions annually, ranked number four after China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

The following quote can be attributed to Belkis Wille, senior Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch:

"These executions follow rushed trials of ISIS suspects which are riddled with due process violations, including convictions based solely on confessions which are sometimes extracted by torture. Iraq’s mishandling of the ISIS trials not only denies victims real justice, but also risks sending innocent Iraqis to their deaths.”

Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all countries and under all circumstances. Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty because it is inherently irreversible and inhumane. Most countries in the world have abolished the practice.