On 26 December 2006 the Iraqi Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq. In accordance with this decision the sentence will be carried out within the next 30 days.

There is no doubt the regime imposed by Saddam Hussein was marked by repeated acts of violence against the Iraqi people, and by the brutal suppression of liberties. The killing of 148 people in the city of Dujail in 1982, the crime for which he was condemned, is just one example.

As a matter of principle Brazil opposes the death penalty, which is forbidden by the country's federal constitution. The Brazilian government has expressed this position in a number of votes held by organs of the United Nations concerned with human rights. Furthermore, the Brazilian government does not believe the execution of Saddam will contribute to the bringing of peace to Iraq.

Saddam Hussein was not deposed in 2003 as a result of action authorised by the UN Security Council, the only multilateral body with the legitimacy to decide upon the use of force on the international plane. Intransigence and errors on both sides made it difficult to arrive at initiatives capable of containing Saddam's government by peaceful means. Leaving aside the issue of the dictatorial nature of the Iraqi regime, it should be noted that the existence of weapons of mass destruction - the reason given for the invasion - has never been proven.

The Brazilian government tried until the very last minute to find a peaceful solution to the Iraqi issue. President Lula held discussions with the leaders of a number of countries, and sent messages to the UN Secretary General and to Pope John Paul II in support of alternatives that could avoid the outbreak, or prolongation, of armed conflict.

At this particularly difficult moment for Iraq, a solution to the conflict and violence can only emerge from dialogue and understanding between the country's different political forces, and must be aimed at preserving Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Source: Ministry of External Relations