Maltese politicians including the Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi, Malta Labour Party spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Leo Brincat and Alternattiva Demokratika’s deputy chairman Stephen Cachia condemned Saddam Hussein’s execution. The Vatican also released a statement condemning Saddam Hussein’s hanging.
The Iraqi dictator was hanged early on Saturday following his conviction last month for crimes against humanity in connection with the Dujail killings.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi believes the execution of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein could create more problems than it solves at this point in time, The Sunday Times reported. While maintaining his strong opposition to capital punishment, Dr Gonzi said that the death sentence reflects the sentiment of the Iraqi people.
The Prime Minister said that Saddam's trial was a process that had brought to justice a person responsible for a negative chapter of human history and was a clear sign that such crimes cannot be committed with impunity. Dr Gonzi's sentiments reflected those shared by the European Union, which has consistently argued against the death penalty.
EU Aid and Development Commissioner Louis Michel on Saturday told Reuters he believed capital punishment was at odds with the democracy Iraq's leaders were trying to build.
Labour foreign affairs spokesman Leo Brincat also expressed severe reservations over whether Saddam's execution would improve the bloody situation in Iraq. While questioning the way Saddam's trial was carried out, Mr Brincat said it was worth pondering on the way Iraq had now practically virtually descended into a state of civil war.
Alternattiva Demokratika deputy chairman Stephen Cachia agreed and said he believes Saddam's execution could turn him into a martyr."It would have been better if he were imprisoned for life where he would have had to stand trial for the other atrocities he committed," Mr Cachia said.
The Vatican also condemned the execution, saying that "A capital punishment is always tragic news, a reason for sadness, even if it deals with a person who was guilty of grave crimes."
On the other hand, President Bush talked with his top national security adviser on Saturday about the world's reaction to the hanging of Saddam Hussein - an execution the president called a milestone on Iraq’s road to democracy, Associated Press reported. Bush cautioned that Saddam's death will not will not halt the bloodshed and political discord splitting the country. He warned of more challenges ahead for U.S. troops.
In turn, Amnesty International in a statement had condemned the Iraqi Appeal Court's decision on 26 December 2006 to confirm the death sentences on Saddam Hussein and two of his co-accused in the al-Dujail trial and said the court should have ordered a re-trial. The organization said it opposed the death penalty in all circumstances but it was especially egregious when this ultimate punishment is imposed after an unfair trial.
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