BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi court sentenced Iraq's former foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, and Ali Hassan al-Majeed, a senior colleague of Saddam Hussein, to 15 years in prison today for their role in what the court deemed a crime against humanity, the killing of 42 merchants in Baghdad in 1992 for profiteering.The sentence was the first against Aziz, a fluent English speaker who was the public face of Hussein's government before turning himself into U.S. authorities a month after his government fell in April 2003. It comes less than two weeks after the 73-year-old Aziz was acquitted by the same court, Iraq's highest, in another case.
Two of Hussein's half-brothers, Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, were sentenced to death for their role in the executions.
"Long live Iraq! Long live Iraq! Down with the occupiers!" Sabawi al-Hassan shouted as the verdict was read in the courtroom.
The men were among eight on trial for the killings of the Baghdad traders, accused at the time of racketeering while the country was under devastating U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. They were tried in a summary trial, then executed without being given the chance of appeal or defense.
Abed Hammoud, Hussein's secretary, was sentenced to life in prison. Mizban Khidr Hadi, a top Baath Party official, was imprisoned for 15 years. A six-year term was handed down to Ahmad Hussein Khudier, the head of the presidential office. Essam Rasheed Huwaish, then governor of the Central Bank, was acquitted.
Majeed already has three death sentences against him, the first in the case that gave him the moniker by which he is popularly known, "Chemical Ali." In June 2007, a court convicted him of genocide for ordering the deaths of tens of thousands of Kurds in the 1988 Anfal campaign, when Iraqi forces fired poison gas on villages.
Aziz was a well-known figure in Iraq, serving as foreign minister, then deputy prime minister. But he was never thought to wield real power within Hussein's inner circle. His family has complained that he is in poor health, suffering from heart and respiratory problems, along with high blood pressure and diabetes.