§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effects the(a) possibility of Saddam Hussein receiving a capital sentence and 644W (b) implications of the European Convention on Human Rights have had on the provision of information by the UK Government to the investigations into Saddam Hussein's alleged crimes. [162066]
§ Mr. RammellOn 10 December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council approved the Statute creating the Iraqi Special Tribunal to try major crimes committed under the former Ba'athist regime. The Transitional Administrative Law signed on 8 March 2004 confirms the establishment of the Tribunal. The Tribunal itself must now be set up and the judges selected.
The UK Government has made it clear that it opposes the use of the death penalty. We were instrumental in securing the suspension of the death penalty in Iraq under Coalition Provisional Authority Order No 7. It will be up to the new Iraqi Government to determine whether this punishment will be reinstated following the transfer of authority. After the transfer of power to the new Iraqi Government, we will continue to lobby against the death penalty.
The UK will consider any request to provide information to the Tribunal consistent with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and our opposition to the death penalty. Iraq is in any event an evidence rich environment, with considerable documentary proof of the atrocities committed by the former regime. The important question is how to ensure that Saddam and other members of his regime suspected of major crimes are tried under an Iraqi process that meets international standards.