Al Arabiya, 10 September 2012  – The international community is gradually seeing human rights violations committed by Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, the country’s fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said in an interview on Monday.

Letters hailing from Human Rights Watch and United Nations condemning the Iraqi government killing civilians is a “drastic change” in its stance toward Baghdad, he said in an interview with Al Arabiya.

However, he criticized the international community’s slow response toward their official issuance of condemnation of human rights violation in Iraq.
The wanted vice president, who rejected a Baghdad court handing him a death sentence allegedly for running a death squad on Monday, said “this [commendation of human rights violation in Iraq] did not happen before last months when I sent letters to them.”

But “today, the intentional community is gradually seeing [crimes committed by Maliki] as international reports emerge.”

He confirmed that he still has his position as Iraq’s vice president, saying that there are constitutional procedures and he was elected.

“I am elected and not appointed by Maliki…the House of Representatives voted for me; it has nothing to do with Maliki,” whom he accused to sabotaging the allegations against him.

“There is no hope,” he said when asked if his case can be solved through reconciliation.

“Leaders from [the secular and Sunni-backed] Al Iraqiya List came back disappointed when attempted to talk to Maliki to resolve the issue.”

Instead, Hashemi urged all of Al Iraqiya, Sadrist bloc and Kurdish parties to renew the no-confidence vote against Maliki.

In June, withdrawing confidence from Maliki fizzled into thin air when there were not enough signatures especially after the Sadrists drew back from their decision to do so.

“Whoever is killing, are Maliki and his inner circle… how about al-Saadi’s report about Maliki’s silenced guns?” he asked.

In 2010, Sabah al-Saaidi, a member of parliament belonging to Al-Fadhila party which is part of the Shiite-dominated Iraqi National Alliance, accused Maliki of distributing silenced guns valued at $3,000 each to tribal heads when visiting him to militarize his support base. The Iraqi National Alliance also includes the Sadrists.

“I am a man of peace that how I was raised,” he said, adding that he has the whole Islamic world to help and host him.

The fugitive vice president, who is currently based in Turkey, urged Iraqis to oppose Maliki, who he accused of stoking sectarian tensions.