ERBIL — An Iraqi court has sentenced two more French nationals to death after finding them guilty for involvement in Islamic State (IS) crimes, Reuters cited a prosecutor on Sunday.

Iraq previously gave death penalties to seven other French men for membership in IS.

“There was sufficient evidence to hand down a death sentence. They both were fighters of the terrorist Islamic State organization,” the prosecutor said.

The French government said last week that it respects Iraq’s judicial authority and its sovereignty, but it opposes in principle to death penalties.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday that France was intensifying the diplomatic efforts to prevent four of its citizens being executed in Iraq after they were sentenced to death for belonging to Islamic State.

Iraq is holding hundreds of foreign IS members, lined up for trial. International human rights organizations have already expressed concerns about the trials, calling them “rushed”.

Bas News