An Iraqi court has issued "three" death sentences against each of the two murderers denounced with several civilian killings; among their victims was the two sons of MP Mithal Al-Allusi. Al-Allusi told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the Central Criminal Court "had sentenced each of the two killers of my sons Ayman and Gamal to death three times each." Jurist Tareq Harb, speaking for the victims at court, said the Central Court had sentenced the so-called Jafaar and Ali Mohammad Hafez from the Islamic Army of Iraq group to death three times each, for killing Al-Allusi's sons and a companion. Ten perpetrators remain at large.Meanwhile, a judiciary source said among the fugitives were Munqiz Adnan Al-Dulaimi, son of MP Adnan Al-Dulaimi, and Minister of Culture Asaad Al-Hashemi. Al-Allusi urged Al-Hashemi to hand himself in to the police, saying Al-Hashemi was not sentenced in absentia.
Ayman and Gamal Al-Allusi, 22 and 30, and their companion, Haider Habib Habib Hussein, were killed in an attack near their house in Baghdad on February 8, 2005.
"This time the Iraqi court did not issue an in absentia sentence against the fugitive minister ... the verdicts were based on clear charges, but the minister escaped among others involved in the crime," Al-Allusi said. He noted that some witnesses had been assassinated so as not to testify in court.
Harb said that during the trial, the killers owned up to committing more than 10 terrorist attacks and "physical liquidation" since February, 2005.