The Left wants New Delhi to “categorically condemn the judicial assassination” and “actively” intervene to get this sentence rescinded.
NEW DELHI: Late on Sunday evening Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee swung into action to do some political firefighting for the government. After the government’s Left allies demanded that New Delhi protest the death sentence against Saddam Hussein, Mukherjee stressed the fact that this was not the final judgement.
According to Iraqi law, the verdict goes up to a nine member appellate court, which takes a fresh look at the verdict. There is no time frame within which the higher court has to take a decision. But when the appellate makes its pronouncement it cannot be challenged. It is the highest court of appeal like the Supreme Court.
Mukherjee was mildly critical of the verdict saying: “Such life and death decisions require credible due process of law, which does not appear to be victor’s justice and is acceptable to the people of Iraq as well as the international community.”
The reference to victor’s justice makes it obvious that India wants Saddam Hussein, a long time friend, to get a fair trial. At the same time the foreign minister pointed out there was time still to wait for the final verdict.
The Left, which has been highly critical of Manmohan Singh’s alleged pro-US tilt, has wasted no time in denouncing the “rigged” verdict delivered after a “farcical trial.” It wants New Delhi to “categorically condemn the judicial assassination” and “actively” intervene to get this sentence rescinded.
The CPI(M) which is wooing the Muslim community while waging ideological war against American imperialism, called upon its party units across the country to protest against this verdict. The party also called upon all the democratic-minded citizens to raise their voices in protest. The UPA-Left coordination committee meeting tentatively scheduled for November 13 is likely to discuss the issue among other things.
In a strongly-worded statement, CPI(M) politburo said “this is nothing but a totally rigged verdict delivered after a farcical trial. The defence lawyers representing Saddam Hussein were murdered and the Chief Judge was changed twice in the course of the trial. The British and US governments should realize that if executed, this sentence will be seen only as a ‘Judicial Assassination’ and they will be held responsible for all the consequences.”
Soon after the sentence was announced the Left Front in West Bengal organised protest marches across the state to condemn “the mockery of justice”.
Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who was in Saddam’s defence team has called the trial a mockery of justice. Human Rights Watch, theUS rights outfit has also strongly indicted the trial as unfair. Pranab Mukherjee, for the governments domestic compulsions added India’s rather wishy-washy statement to others who have decried the grossly unfair trial. “ We have always stood for a peaceful resolution of the problems in Iraq. We hope that this verdict will not add to the suffering of the people of Iraq.”
If the foreign office had its way, it would have preferred to keep quiet, but the Left response forced it to come out with a statement. Mukherjee hopes his response will placate the Left and not plunge the government into another crisis.
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