The number of execution sentences against convicted criminal and terrorists that have has been declared so far is now 18; none of which has been practically executed till this moment.
An official from the "supreme judicial board of Iraq" explained that these sentences were not carried out because they represent preliminary sentences and can be subject to objections and retrials and that such cases would be-incase of objections-handed to the state attorney and then to the supreme court which consists of 14 judges to verify the sentences and give a final word about them.
Anyone who didn't live under Saddam's regime would not get the significance of the above paragraph and some might even say "what do 18 criminals represent compared to the hundreds that are getting killed or injured every month during enemy attacks and sometimes with friendly fire; people's rights are-in many cases-lost in a battle where it's not easy to discriminate between an enemy and a friend.
But to me, reading such news makes me feel the change, and gives me a growing feeling of hope and a building justice.
We're building future here that used to look like a hard-to get-dream a couple of years ago and we're ready to sacrifice today so that we can live a better life tomorrow.
The judicial system in Iraq lost credibility and respect over the past decades and turned into a killing tool in the hand of the dictator and was even totally ignored and replaced by the notorious "revolutionary courts" that never hesitated to sentence people to death for the silliest reasons.
No one was able to know the number of executions that were made under Saddam; people would vanish and no one would dare to inquire about their fate.
Is the situation getting worse now? Are we moving in the wrong direction?
Such questions mean nothing to me; maybe some people outside are interested in discussing them but for me?
What really matters here for me is that despite the critical situation and the public pressure on the judicial system in Iraq to reactivate the death penalty against terrorists and criminals, the judges in Iraq are sticking to the principles of law and the have proven to have a good measure of independence and this-in my opinion-is one of the most important elements we need if we want to establish a state of law and justice.
Right now I feel much safer than before and once again I say that I don't expect people who didn't suffer what we suffered under Saddam to understand how I feel.
Mohammed.
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