By Daisy Ayliffe - 6th November 2006
EU member states are split over the decision to sentence Saddam Hussein to the death penalty.
The former Iraqi leader was sentenced to death by hanging on Sunday by a special tribunal.
London has hailed the decision as a “victory for Iraq” but other European member states have distanced themselves from the sentence.
In a statement published on Sunday, the Finnish EU presidency said the death penalty could not be tolerated under any circumstances.
“The EU opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances and it should not be carried out in this case either,” Helsinki said.
Meanwhile NGOs have expressed doubts over the fairness of the tribunal.
"This trial should have been a major contribution towards establishing justice and the rule of law in Iraq," Amnesty International declared.
"In practice, it has been a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws that call into question the capacity of the tribunal… to administer justice fairly."
US president George Bush described the decision to sentence the former Iraqi leader to death as "a milestone in the Iraqi people's efforts to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law."
But critics of the Bush administration say the verdict was announced to boost public opinion ahead of difficult mid-term elections for the Republicans.
The idea that "somehow we've been scheming and plotting with the Iraqis" is "preposterous", a White House spokesman hit back on Sunday.
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