Iraq executes 21 prisoners convicted on terrorism chargesApril 17, 2013 - 18:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraq's Justice Ministry said authorities have executed 21 prisoners convicted on terrorism charges and links to al-Qaeda, The Associated Press reported. The ministry said Wednesday, April 17 the executions were carried out on Tuesday by hanging. It says all the men were Iraqi al-Qaeda operatives who were involved in bombings, car bomb attacks and assassinations. The hangings brought the number of prisoners executed in Iraq so far this year to 50. Iraq has dismissed calls from international human rights organizations to reconsider capital punishment. Executions are usually carried out by hanging. Last year, Iraq executed 129 people, triggering concerns among rights groups on whether defendants received a fair trial. According to the London-based Amnesty International, Iraq was ranked fourth among the top five executioners in the world in 2011, after China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and U.S. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |