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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/iraqs-aziz-hopes-for-death-pardon.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="Saddam Hussein's henchman Tariq Aziz is to ask for an Iraqi presidential pardon over his death sentence" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/min-iraqs-aziz-hopes-for-death-pardon.jpg" alt="Saddam Hussein's henchman Tariq Aziz is to ask for an Iraqi presidential pardon over his death sentence"/></a></p>
<p>Saddam Hussein&#8217;s henchman Tariq Aziz is to ask for an Iraqi presidential pardon from his death sentence for persecuting opponents.</p>
<p>His lawyer Giovanni Di Stefano said the pardon request was instead of appealing the sentence, handed down last month.</p>
<p>It is a risky legal move, considering Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has granted few, if any, pardons in his more than five-year tenure and could be prevented from doing so in this case.</p>
<p>But it comes amid pleas from the Vatican and several anti-death penalty nations in Europe for amnesty for Aziz, the only Christian in Saddam&#8217;s inner circle.</p>
<p>&#8220;This could be the diplomatic solution people have been waiting for,&#8221; Mr Di Stefano said.</p>
<p>Aziz &#8220;does not want special treatment because he is a Christian,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He seeks the pardon as a step toward reconciliation of Iraq. Enough people have been killed, enough people have been executed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last week the Iraqi president said he would not sign Aziz&#8217;s death warrant, explaining that he believed it was wrong to execute the 74-year-old. But there are ways in Iraq&#8217;s constitution to bypass the president in capital cases &#8211; such as an act of parliament or the approval of one of Mr Talabani&#8217;s deputies.</p>
<p>Additionally, the constitution says Iraq&#8217;s president can only grant pardons &#8220;on the recommendation of the prime minister.&#8221; Iraq&#8217;s current prime minister is Nouri al-Maliki, whose Shia Dawa party was the main victim of the crimes Aziz was convicted of committing.</p>
<p>Mr Di Stefano dismissed the constitutional limits as &#8220;no problem&#8221; and predicted the pardon would be granted.</p>
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