BAGHDAD — For years, he was the urbane, cigar-smoking face of Saddam Hussein’s regime who argued his boss’ case in the international corridors of power.
Tariq Aziz, 72, now faces 15 years in prison for crimes against humanity in the 1992 execution of Iraqi merchants — his first conviction for his role in the ousted regime. The verdict came a little more than a week after Aziz was acquitted in a separate case.
The silver-haired former foreign minister, deputy prime minister and Hussein insider blinked frequently Wednesday as the judge read the verdict — guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity including complicity in murder and torture.
Aziz stood silently. When the judge finished, Aziz quietly asked if he could sit down. The request was granted. He sat with his eyes shut as other defendants rose to hear their sentences.
He and other defendants were accused of involvement in the July 1992 roundup of 42 merchants accused by Hussein of being behind a sharp increase in food prices when the country was suffering hardships under sanctions.
The merchants were arrested over two days in Baghdad’s wholesale markets and charged with manipulating food supplies to drive up prices. They were executed hours later after a quick trial.
Two of Hussein’s half brothers, former Interior Minister Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and director of public security Sabawi Ibrahim, were sentenced to death in the merchants’ case.
Hussein cousin Ali Hassan “Chemical Ali” al-Majid, who faces three death sentences from previous cases, also got a 15-year prison sentence.
Crimes against humanity is a charge under international law that refers to offenses so odious that they constitute an attack on human dignity. The charge is not isolated to specific events but is part of a pattern of atrocities by a state.
Prosecutors had argued that Aziz was complicit because he was a member of the ruling Revolutionary Command Council that rubber-stamped Hussein’s decisions.
Defense attorney Badee Izzat Aref said he would appeal and that Aziz was traveling in Europe when the executions occurred.
Hussein opponents hailed the sentence.
“Tariq Aziz is one of the prominent figures of the old regime,” said Jalaluddin al-Saghir, a prominent Shiite cleric and lawmaker. “He is one of the big criminals who contributed to bringing harm to the Iraqi people.”
Aziz, who was No. 43 in the deck of cards of wanted regime figures issued after Hussein’s ouster, surrendered to American forces on April 25, 2003. But he didn’t face charges until last year.
Aziz also faces charges in a pending case involving the arrests and killings of hundreds of Kurds in the early 1980s. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.
