Conference turris::scandia

403.0. "Relations with Iraq disrupted by a hanging" by CHARLT::SAVAGE () Fri Jul 13 1990 13:52

    From: [email protected]
    Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.europe,clari.news.law
    Subject: Sweden recalls ambassador to Iraq over hanging
    Keywords: international, non-usa government, government, death penalty,
	legal
    Date: 12 Jul 90 16:52:43 GMT
    Location: sweden, iraq
    ACategory: international
    Slugword: hanging
 
    	STOCKHOLM, Sweden (UPI) -- Sweden recalled its ambassador to Iraq
    Thursday after Baghdad authorities announced they had hanged a Swedish
    citizen for spying on behalf of Israel, Sweden's foreign minister said.	
    "It is with deep anger and sorrow that I have learned of the execution
    in Baghdad of a Swedish citizen," Foreign Minister Sten Andersson said.

    	Andersson said he had recalled Sweden's ambassador to Baghdad for
    consultations following Iraq's announcement that it had hanged Jalil
    Mehdi al-Neamy, an Iraqi-born naturalized Swede with a Swedish wife and
    12-year-old daughter.  In diplomatic terms, recalling an ambassador for
    consultations falls just short of breaking off diplomatic relations.

    	"The death penalty is an abominable thing irrespective of the
    crime. The execution of a Swedish citizen must be strongly condemned,"
    Anderson said.  He went on to severely condemn Iraq's refusal to hear
    Sweden's requests for clemency and said relations between the two
    countries had been seriously harmed.

    	Al-Neamy was arrested August 9, 1989 during a private visit to the
    country. He was accused by Iraq of being a spy for Israel's
    intelligence agency Mossad and of having infiltrated and spied on
    Palestinian refugees in the country.

    	A revolutionary court found al-Neamy guilty of spying and sentenced
    him to death by hanging Apr. 30. Sweden has made repeated pleas for
    clemency to Iraq through its own diplomatic channels, those of friendly
    nations as well as through the United Nations.

    	Al-Neamy's case was the second time in six months that Iraq has
    incurred the wrath of a European government because of an execution. In
    mid-March, the Iraqi authorities executed Farzad Barzoft, 31, an
    Iranian journalist traveling on British identity papers who Iraq
    claimed had visited and photographed areas he had not been authorised
    to visit.  The British government strongly condemned that execution
    and relations between the two countries remain cool.