Death within month for 'Chemical Ali'

An Iraqi appeals court today upheld the death sentence against Saddam Hussein's cousin, widely known as 'Chemical Ali', for masterminding a genocidal campaign.

"The nine appeal judges have upheld the death sentence against Ali Hassan al-Majeed, and according to the law of the court, the sentence must be carried out within 30 days," the chief prosecutor in the trial, Munkith al-Fatlawi, told Reuters.

He said the court also upheld the death sentences against two other accused, Sultan Hashim, Saddam's former defence minister, and Hussein Rashid, the former deputy commander of operations for the Iraqi military.

Majeed was found guilty in June of directing the 1988 Anfal military campaign against Kurds, in which more than 100,000 people were killed, chemical weapons were used, villages demolished and agricultural lands destroyed.

Majeed has just gone on trial for his role in crushing a Sh'ite rebellion in southern Iraq in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War. Prosecutors have said Majeed could be executed before the latest trial is completed.

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