Iraq has 835 people waiting to be executed

Baghdad Iraq has 835 people waiting to be executed, according to Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani, on Monday, just days after the UN envoy to Baghdad to ask the state abolished the death penalty.Speaking at a press conference about efforts to overcome terrorism, Bolani said that the Iraqi tribunal has indicted approximately 14 500 people for crimes of terrorism, which some of them sentenced to life imprisonment and death sentence of another."The government will continue to uphold justice. 14 500 criminals have been sentenced, with 835 of them were sentenced to death and the rest of life imprisonment," he said.

Iraq to execute 230 people during the period 2005-2009, according to government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in July. He also said that at that time approximately 1254 people have been sentenced to death.

Bolani statement comes after UN envoy Ad Melkert called on the Iraqi government to abolish the death penalty, in a speech commemorating International Human Rights Day on Friday.

"On this day we want to repeat our universal call to refrain from carrying out the death penalty and will encourage the Iraqis to consider punishment as a measure banning the basis of the application of justice in the new Iraq," he said, according to a transcript of his speech.

Baghdad reintroduce the death penalty in 2004, after a brief moratorium after US-led invasion in 2003. They were sentenced to death are usually hanged.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is a strong supporter of the death penalty, instead of President Jalal Talabani against it. (AFP)