Family of ex-Saddam minister Aziz calls for release
Posted on: Friday, 13 January 2006, 09:55 CST
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.
Source: REUTERS
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