Russian MPs condemn Saddam death verdict

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Senior Russian legislators Friday warned Saddam Hussein's execution could set off civil war in Iraq.

An Iraqi court this week upheld the death sentence on Saddam, Iraq's dictator for a quarter-century before he was toppled in 2003 by U.S. forces. Found guilty of crimes against humanity during his blood-soaked rule, he could be executed by hanging as early as this weekend, according to media reports.

However, senior figures in both houses of the Russian parliament warned that the execution was ill-judged and could make things even worse in Iraq, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

"The execution will fuel civil war in Iraq and escalate Jihadism," Mikhail Margelov, head of the Russian upper house International Affairs Committee, said according to the RIA Novosti report.

Margelov expressed support for the Council of Europe's opposition to the use of the death penalty.

"The head of the Russian lower house's International Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachyov, said the execution will result in a new interethnic and religious war in Iraq and could lead to the disintegration of the country into several states," RIA Novosti said.

The news agency also quoted Leonid Slutsky as saying Saddam's execution would "lead to the destabilization of the Middle East."