Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as “Chemical Ali,” has been executed by hanging in Iraq, according to a government spokesperson.
Majid had received four death sentences for crimes against humanity, including the mass-killing of Shia Muslims in the 1990s and the gassing of Iraqi Kurds in 1988.
Giulieto Chiesa, an Italian politician and former member of the European Parliament, expressed his opinion on why Majid was executed only now.
“This execution was dictated not by law, but by political reason. It’s evident,” Chiesa said. “It seems to me that it’s another sign that the situation in the area is not stable. And it’s a message to different political and religious groups fighting each other now.”