06 March 2009 :

"We acknowledged that intervening and preventing the state assassination in Iraq of Tareq Aziz, an official responsible for collaborating with and supporting the dictator Saddam, was necessary and could not be postponed. We did this because those who had official contacts with Aziz up until the last minutes of the bloodthirsty and disastrous Saddam regime (in particular in Italy and in the Vatican) have not shown concern with saving their highly honoured friend and accomplice,” Radical leader Marco Pannella said in a statement.
“At that point, in reality, nothing was known and we feared everything regarding the fate of Tareq Aziz. One of his lawyers was kidnapped in Jordan after the other was assassinated, while the special tribunal continued to give out “justice” in the mould of Saddam.
By August we already knew from lawyer Mario Lana, who was sent to Baghdad, that it in the final phase of the trial Saddam's ex-principal collaborator would be charged. This was all done with the unofficial consent of the Italian Government and the confirmed neutrality of the Vatican.
The Government in Baghdad meanwhile continued to be informed of our uninterrupted vigilance in Italy, in the Italian institutions as well as the European ones.
Pannella added “Today we learn the news of the full absolution and freedom of Aziz, as well as the news of the death sentences of three of his coaccused, including the infamous “Chemical Ali”. However, we (in particular the Nonviolent Radical Party and Hands Off Cain) are still committed to stopping the rapid and uncontrolled execution of the condemned, including other witnesses and/or accused in other very important trials.
We make an urgent public appeal to the highest authority in Baghdad, in particular to President Talabani, not to officially resume cutting people's heads off to silence their mouths, mouths that would very definitely have things to tell. If some form of assurance isn't given officially then it is clear that we must uphold the legality of human rights and enforce the Universal Moratorium proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. We truly hope that this won't be necessary. In particular, we thank the Nobel prize winners and the European and Italian political exponents that have supported us. From here on we hope that, thanks to available information (where it still exists), the Iraqi government is allowed to acknowledge our initiative. This is mainly of interest to the Iraqi population, because for decades they were massacred with the ruling class of the country being primarily responsible.”