'Chemical Ali' death sentence upheld

An Iraqi appeals court yesterday upheld the death sentence against Saddam Hussein's cousin, widely known as "Chemical Ali", for masterminding a genocidal campaign against Iraq's Kurds in the 1980s.

"The nine appeal judges have upheld the death sentence against Ali Hassan al-Majeed, and according to the law of the court, the sentence must be carried out within 30 days," the chief prosecutor in the trial, Munkith al-Fatlawi, said.

He said the court also upheld the death sentences against two other accused, Sultan Hashim, Saddam's former defense minister, and Hussein Rashid, the former deputy head of operations for the Iraqi military.