Reuters: Iraq court delays ruling on ex-VP Ramadan

[Eugene]

Iraq court delays ruling on ex-VP Ramadan

2 hours, 42 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi court put off a decision on Thursday on whether
to accept an appeal court recommendation that former Vice President Taha Yassin
Ramadan be executed, adjourning until February 12.

The court had been expected to decide whether to accept the recommendation to
toughen Ramadan's sentence from life imprisonment to the death penalty for crimes
against humanity.

Ramadan was convicted in November after being tried with Saddam Hussein and
several other defendants for the killing of 148 Shi'ite men and boys from Dujail
after a failed assassination attempt in 1982.

Saddam and two other defendants have already been hanged.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/ts_nm/iraq_saddam_ramadan_dc

(Associated Press)

Sentencing for Saddam deputy postponed

29 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi judge postponed sentencing for Saddam Hussein's vice president
because lawyers for relatives and victims of the crimes failed to show up on Thursday.

Taha Yassin Ramadan is expected to hang just like his boss. The court had been expected
to raise the sentence after an appeals court ruled that Ramadan's previous sentence
of life in prison was too lenient.

Judge Ali al-Kahishi said the session will be adjourned until Feb. 12, "because the plaintiff
lawyers are not present in the court because they were not notified."

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_saddam_s_deputy