The former Vice-President of Iraq was convicted of murder, forced deportation, and torture in November, and sentence to life in prison. An appeals court argued that his sentence was too lenient a month later, and returned his case to the High Tribunal where he was upgraded to a death sentence.

Ramadan is the third Saddam aide to be hanged for crimes against humanity. His son Ahmed said the hanging was “not an execution” but a “political assassination”. Human rights groups and Iraqi Sunnis are outraged over the execution.

Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraq’s former vice-president, was hanged before dawn on Tuesday for his role in the killing of 148 Shia Iraqis in Dujail, an official in the prime minister’s office said.

“Ramadan was hanged at 3:05am today,” said the official who witnessed the hanging.

No official announcement has been made by the government…

… Ramadan had maintained his innocence, saying his duties were limited to economic affairs, not security issues.

Human Rights Watch and the International Centre for Transitional Justice have said the evidence against him was insufficient for the death penalty.

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