DW: Europeans Divided on Saddam Death Sentence

[blackhorse]

Europeans Divided on Saddam Death Sentence

While political leaders across Europe said Saddam Hussein should be held accountable for his actions, they also expressed their opposition to the death penalty the former Iraqi dictator received on Sunday.

While Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the death sentence passed against Saddam Hussain a verdict "all Iraqis are entitled to celebrate," European leaders were divided in their reaction to Sunday's verdict.

Great Britain, one of the main powers behind the invasion of Iraq, was among the few western countries to give an openly positive reception to Sunday's verdict.

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Human rights groups slammed the trial for not providing victims with a clear record of facts of what occurred under Hussein's dictatorship and emphasized their rejection of the death penalty under any circumstances.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2225883,00.html