TEMPO.CO, Baghdad - Iraq executed 23 convicts in two days last September, most of whom were found guilty of terrorism. The executions were carried out on September 22 and 26.
Twenty of the 23 were either Al-Qaeda members or otherwise involved in terrorism, while three were convicted of unspecified "criminal charges" a Justice Ministry spokesman said.
This adds to the long list of at least 90 people who have been put to death in Iraq this year, according to an AFP tally based on reports from the ministry and officials.
Executions in Iraq, which are usually carried out by hanging, have drawn widespread condemnation from the European Union, the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.
"The Iraqi authorities have chosen to defy repeated calls not to execute prisoners and to rely on tainted 'confessions' obtained under torture," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui from Amnesty International last month.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said this year that Iraq's criminal justice system was "not functioning adequately."
She highlighted "numerous convictions based on confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment, a weak judiciary and trial proceedings that fall short of international standards."
"The application of the death penalty in these circumstances is unconscionable, as any miscarriage of justice as a result of capital punishment cannot be undone," she added.
L AL-BAWABA | FOX NEWS | SITA PLANASARI AQUADINI