Iraq executes 11 prisoners for terror crimes

Iraq's Ministry of Justice said it executed 11 convicts for terror crimes Thursday, two days after it announced the execution of 26 convicts, despite international calls for Baghdad to abolish the death penalty.

"The ministry of justice executed 11 people after they were found guilty of terrorism crimes... The total number of those executed this week becomes 37, all of them Iraqis," Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a statement

On Tuesday, the ministry said it had executed 26 convicts Sunday morning after the Iraqi president approved their penalties, a procedure required by the law.

Iraq's recent increase in executions sparked calls for Baghdad to abolish capital punishment by the UN mission, the EU and some rights groups, which have criticised the lack of transparency in the proceedings of the Iraqi courts.

The death penalty in Iraq was suspended June 10, 2003 for over a year.

The Iraqi government reinstated it Aug 8, 2004, saying it would curb widespread violence in the country.