French citizens convicted of joining the Islamic State group have been sentenced to death by courts in Baghdad, in trials that human rights groups say amount to France outsourcing terrorism cases to an abusive justice system.
Mustapha Merzoughi, a French citizen of Tunisian origin, was among those sentenced last week. He told the court he wanted to return to France and said he had made a mistake by joining a terror organisation, but insisted he had not killed anyone. Two more French nationals, Fadhil Aouidate, 33, and Vianney Jamal Abdelqader, 29, were sentenced to death on Sunday. The sentences are subject to appeal.
The twelve French suspects were captured by US-backed forces in Syria and transferred to Iraqi authorities after France declined to take them back. They were charged under Iraq's counter-terrorism laws. Iraqi officials say jurisdiction is valid because of the group's name and its impact on Iraq, even if the accused did not commit crimes on Iraqi soil.
Human Rights Watch criticised France's approach, saying countries should not be outsourcing management of terrorism suspects to a country where fair trials and protection from torture are undermined. One suspect, Aouidate, claimed he was beaten and suffered a fractured rib during interrogation, but a forensic examination ruled his allegations unsubstantiated.
French authorities say they oppose the death penalty but respect Iraq's judicial sovereignty. About 2,000 foreign fighters remain in camps in Syria, and Iraq has previously expressed willingness to try them.
