Family of ex-Saddam minister Aziz calls for release

By Omar al-Ibadi

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The wife and daughter of former Iraqi
Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz demanded his release from
prison after visiting him on Friday, saying he was seriously
ill and suffering from a host of ailments.

“My father is losing weight. He suffers from pains in the
heart and has blood pressure problems. He has had two strokes
already,” Aziz’s daughter Zainab told Reuters.

Aziz, 70, once the public face of Saddam Hussein’s regime
abroad, was jailed after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
No formal charges have been brought against him and he remains
in the physical custody of U.S. forces.

A U.S. official on Thursday denied there had been any
significant deterioration in Aziz’s health and said he was
receiving professional care from medical staff at his detention
facility.

His lawyer sparked alarm on Thursday when he said his
client’s health had sharply deteriorated in recent weeks and
that he may be only weeks away from death.

Zainab Aziz, who spent 30 minutes with her father on
Friday, said he looked better. “But that doesn’t mean he is
okay. He looked very tired.”

“We demand that he be released, not only because he is very
sick but also because he is 70 years old and he has been
detained until now without any charge,” she said, adding:

“His health is very bad, and anyone in his case may
collapse fast, especially when they have so many illnesses.”

She said the visit with her father took place in a caravan
and that they discussed only family matters.

The only Christian in the top ranks of the Iraqi regime,
Aziz was number 43 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi
officials.

Known for his silver hair and cigar smoking, he featured
prominently in Iraq’s wars, garnering U.S. support in the
Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88 before turning into a foe in the Gulf
wars of 1991 and 2003.