Third Libyan executed in Iraq

 By Libya Herald staff

Tripoli, 19 November 2013:

A Libyan convicted of murder in Iraq has been executed in Baghdad, despite apparent assurances [restrict]from the Iraqi authorities that he would not be hanged for at least a year.

Adel Zuwai is the third Libyan to be executed in Iraq. Two others were hanged in 2011, also for the killing of Iraqi citizens.

Taha Shakshuki of the NGO Libyan Prisoners Abroad told the Libya Herald that the execution of Adel Zuwai had not been expected. This was in part because the LPA had been given to understand that the next Libyan to die was to be a man called Adel Shaalali.

Zuwai was in fact executed on 7 November. However, news of his death was only confirmed yesterday. His brother said that the family had received no information about the execution, nor had they been able to retrieve his body.

Along with Shaalali, two other Libyans are believed to be on death row. All have been convicted of involvement in the murder of Iraqi citizens. At one point there were up to 14 Libyans convicted of a range of serious offences, some of whom had been sentenced to life or 30 years imprisonment.  However as a result of negotiations between Tripoli and Baghdad, this spring five Libyans were granted an amnesty and sent home.

With contributions from Ahmed Elumami and Ashraf Abdul Wahab [/restrict]