Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 27 May 2019
Iraqi court sentences 3 French members of IS to death

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA dling of IS trials, accusing
Associated Press authorities of relying on cir-
BAGHDAD (AP) — A Bagh- cumstantial evidence and
dad court on Sunday often extracting confes-
sentenced three French sions under torture.
citizens to death for be- The thousands of men and
ing members of the Islamic women who came from
State group, an Iraqi judi- around the world to join the
cial official said. They were self-styled Islamic caliphate
the first French IS members have been left in limbo fol-
to receive death sentenc- lowing the group’s territo-
es in Iraq, where they were rial defeat earlier this year
transferred for trial from in Syria.
neighboring Syria. The three men are the first
The verdict raised new French IS members to re-
questions about the legal ceive death sentences in
treatment of thousands of Iraq. It wasn’t immediately
foreign nationals formerly clear how France, which
with the extremist group. abolished the death pen-
Many now languish in pris- alty nearly four decades
ons in Iraq or detention ago, will react to the sen-
camps in northern Syria. tence.
Their home countries hesi- The trials are a test for how
tate to take back citizens the international commu-
they see as having gone nity handles the thousands
willingly to join the militant In this May 23, 2018 file photo, security guards stand outside the building where Islamic State of foreign nationals who
group. militants are tried in a special counterterrorism court in Baghdad, Iraq. stayed, or were trapped,
The official said the three Associated Press with the Islamic State group
were among 12 French members in recent months. Iraqi President Barham tionals in Baghdad raise through its dying days.
citizens whom the U.S.- The convicted French mili- Saleh had said during a the difficult question of Iraqi prosecutors say the 12
backed Syrian Democratic tants can appeal the sen- February visit to Paris that whether foreign IS suspects French nationals are ac-
Forces handed over to Iraq tences within a month, ac- the 12 will be prosecuted should be tried and pun- cused of belonging to IS,
in January. The Kurdish- cording to the official, who in accordance with Iraqi ished in the country of their were parties or accomplic-
led group spearheads the official spoke on condition laws. In March, Prime Min- alleged crimes, even when es to its crimes, and threat-
fight against IS in Syria and of anonymity because he ister Adel Abdul-Mahdi as- there are serious doubts ened the national security
has handed over to Iraq wasn’t authorized to speak serted Iraq’s authority to about the impartiality of of Iraq. Simply belonging
hundreds of suspected IS to the media. try foreign IS suspects de- the courts in Iraq and Syria. to the extremist group is
tained in Syria because Human rights groups includ- punishable by life in prison
“the battlefields were one.” ing Human Rights Watch or execution under Iraq’s
The trials of the French na- have criticized Iraq’s han- counter-terrorism laws.q

Explosions in Nepal’s capital leave 3

dead, 8 wounded

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
Associated Press
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) —
Three explosions killed three
people and wounded at
least eight in different parts
of Nepal’s capital on Sun-
day, with police suspecting
that an outlawed commu-
nist group was responsible.
Police official Shyam Lal
Gyawali said authorities Nepalese army personnel examone the site of an explosion in
were investigating the Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 26, 2019.
blasts. The first two explo- Associated Press
sions occurred within min- authorities. The first explo- said they found pamphlets
utes apart in two Kath- sion occurred in northern from the group at the sec-
mandu neighborhoods, Kathmandu, killing two ond explosion site. The ar-
while the third one was a people and injuring five, eas around the two blast
few hours later. Police said police said. The second sites were quickly closed by
they suspect that a group blast was in a house in the police and the injured were
that once split from the rul- central part of the city, kill- taken to hospitals. Police
ing Communist party was ing one and injuring one. said a third explosion in-
responsible for the blasts Police believe the men in jured two people who they
because its members have the house are linked to the believe were members of
been protesting the arrests outlawed group, which is the group transporting the
of their supporters by the known for violence. They explosive device. q