Hashemi repeats demands for trial in Kurdistan Region - Baghdad refuses
21/12/2011 09:00Erbil, Dec. 21 (AKnews) - The Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi repeated his demands on Tuesday to move his prospective trial for terrorism offenses to the semi-autonomous northern region of Iraq. The fugitive politician believes this is the only way to ensure the "integrity" of the trial and judiciary. Baghdad rejected his demand.
An arrest warrant for al-Hashemi was issued on Monday after he was accused of organizing death squads to assassinate political and military leaders.
Al-Hashemi said in a press conference in Erbil: "No arrest warrant can be issued against those who have legal immunity. God knows I'm not involved in shedding blood."
He added he doubted the confessions presented on the state broadcaster Iraqiya, saying the whole process is part of foreign agenda.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry presented the confessions of three members of Hashemi's protection detail. They said the Vice President had ordered them to carry out brutal hits on senior figures in Iraq since 2009.
Al-Hashemi, a senior opposition leader said: "External parties asked me to implement certain demands or they will release the confessions. The Iraqi judiciary lacks credibility at this time and it belongs to the executive power" in reference to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Al-Hashemi alleged lawyers were not allowed to defend his bodyguards and had withdrawn from their cases "under threat".
"In order to guarantee justice I ask my case be heard in the Kurdistan Region, and I have the right to demand of the presence of representatives from the Arab League and the Arab Jurists Union to ensure the integrity in the case."
He added that these events are not consistent with the rhetoric of a united Iraq after the U.S. withdrawal. Al-Hashemi claimed to have been harassed and under house arrest for the last two months. He said tanks had been deployed outside his residence in the fortified Green Zone in the Yarmouk neighborhood of Baghdad.
Sarcastically, al-Hashemi asked U.S. president Barak Obama this was what passes for a democracy: "This is democracy that you Obama talked about? My house and my office are surrounded by tanks?"
As the last U.S. troops left Iraq last week political disputes between al-Maliki and his power sharing rivals in the National Coalition have intensified.
On Tuesday the Prime Minister's press office said the investigation cannot be transferred to Kurdistan, criticizing al-Hashemi's description of a corrupted and inept Iraqi judiciary.
Al-Maliki's adviser Mariam al-Rayyes told AKnews Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and the investigation must take place there adding al-Hashemi must, instead of accusing the Iraqi judiciary, "provide evidences that prove his innocence".
"Hashemi is banned from travel and no political party has the right to help him," she added. The Interior Ministry has already stated they will request an international arrest warrant from the international police force Interpol should anyone help al-Hashemi leave Iraq.
By Murtada al-Yusuf and Raman Brosk
RN/JS/AKnews
