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Iraq: Amnesty International condemns the killing of two diplomats

26 August 2005, 11:25AM

Amnesty International today strongly condemned the killing by an armed group of two Algerian diplomats, Ali Belaroussi and Azzeddine Belkadi. The two were kidnapped on 21 July 2005 as they were leaving the Algerian Embassy in Baghdad by car. The armed group, al-Qa'ida of Jihad Organization in the Land of Two Rivers, led by Jordanian national Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and the killing of the two diplomats.

In a statement posted on the internet on 27 July the group said it had killed the two men because, among other things, it considered them "two envoys of the Algerian state which does not apply Shari'a law and is allied to the Jews and the Christians."

This is the second time in less than a month that Arab diplomats have been kidnapped and then killed by armed groups in Iraq. On 2 July Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq, Ihab al-Sherif, was abducted and later killed, also apparently by al-Zarqawi's group.

Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned abuses by armed groups in Iraq, including killing of civilians, kidnapping, hostage-taking, torture and other abuses. On 25 July 2005 Amnesty International published a report detailing a pattern of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by armed groups opposed to the Iraqi government and the presence of the US-led Multinational Force in Iraq.

Amnesty International is continuing to demand that armed groups in Iraq immediately cease all attacks against civilians and comply with international law and to call for the perpetrators of these abuses to be brought to justice.

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