JURIST - Iraq

IRAQ

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Iraq official urges election delay after parliament fails to update law
November 6, 2009

[JURIST] An official from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission on Friday called for a delay of the January 16 parliamentary elections, after the Iraqi Parliament [official websites, in Arabic] remained at an impasse over updating a controversial provincial election law [JURIST report]. El....... [more]

Iraq renews call for UN inquiry after recent bombings
October 27, 2009

[JURIST] Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari [official profile] on Monday renewed calls for a formal UN inquiry to investigate those responsible for bombings in the country following twin suicide bombings [JURIST report] in Baghdad Sunday, which are believed to have killed more than 150. Zebari a....... [more]

Baghdad suicide bombers target justice ministry amidst election law crisis
October 25, 2009

[JURIST] Twin suicide bombings in Baghdad Sunday targeted the ministry of justice and the headquarters of the local provincial government ahead of an attempt this week by the Iraqi parliament [official website] to resolve a political stalemate that would permit changes to the country's election law........ [more]

Iraq parliament fails to update controversial election law
October 20, 2009

[JURIST] The Iraqi Parliament [official website, in Arabic] delayed a vote Monday that would have updated the controversial provincial election law [JURIST report] it passed in September 2008. The proposed election law changes, which include ballots that list candidates rather than closed lists of p....... [more]

UK High Court criticizes Ministry of Defense probe of war crimes allegations
October 4, 2009

[JURIST] A three-judge panel of the UK High Court [official website] strongly criticized [Guardian report] the Ministry of Defence (MOD) [official website] Friday for its failure to properly setup an independent inquiry into claims that war crimes had been committed by British soldiers following a M....... [more]

Federal judge refuses to block transfer of US detainee to Iraqi custody
September 29, 2009

[JURIST] A judge in the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] on Monday denied [opinion, PDF] the habeas corpus petition of suspected terrorist and US citizen Shawqi Omar [JURIST news archive], allowing him to be transferred to Iraqi custody. Omar, detained by the US mili....... [more]

US officer who objected to Iraq war getting 'other than honorable' discharge
September 27, 2009

[JURIST] US Army First Lt. Ehren Watada [JURIST news archive] has won discharge from military service after a three year battle to avoid redeployment in Iraq, according to media reports Friday. Watada sought to leave the army [Honolulu Star Bulletin report] in 2006 in objection to the war in Iraq, a....... [more]

Iraq president presses UN for international tribunal to try bombing suspects
September 25, 2009

[JURIST] Iraqi President Jalal Talabani [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] on Thursday urged the UN General Assembly [official website] to establish an independent international tribunal [statement, PDF] to investigate and try suspects in a recent series of deadly bombings. Talabani said that the sc....... [more]

US closes controversial Camp Bucca prison in Iraq
September 17, 2009

[JURIST] The US closed [press release] the Camp Bucca [backgrounder] prison facility in Southern Iraq Wednesday, pursuant to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) [text, PDF]. The remaining detainees were transferred from Camp Bucca, once the largest US detention facility in Iraq, to the two remaini....... [more]

Iraq shoe-throwing journalist released from prison
September 15, 2009

[JURIST] The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US president George W. Bush was released from prison Tuesday. Muntader al-Zaidi [BBC profile] was originally sentenced to three years on charges of assaulting a foreign leader but later had his sentence reduced [JURIST reports] to one year....... [more]

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