Trial of fugitive Iraqi VP starts in Baghdad
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 May 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Trial of fugitive Iraqi VP starts in Baghdad, 15 May 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4fbcc8d923.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 15, 2012
The trial in absentia of Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is accused of running death squads, has opened in Baghdad.
The trial was subsequently adjourned until May 20 after a number of witnesses testified.
Hashimi, who is currently in Turkey, has denied accusations that he had been behind attacks against Shi'ite pilgrims and officials, saying the case against him has been orchestrated by his Iraqi Shi'ite political enemies.
Hashimi, one of Iraq's highest-ranking minority Sunni politicians, fled Baghdad in December when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government sought his arrest.
Hashimi's son-in-law, Ahmad Ahmad Kahtan, and more than 70 of his bodyguards have also been charged.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
