Suspected militants to stand trial on charges of killing hundreds of Iraqi

BAGHDAD (AP) — The trial of suspected militants accused of killing hundreds of Iraqi soldiers during last year’s Islamic State group blitz began on Wednesday in Baghdad.

The soldiers were captured by Islamic State militants when they overran Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit in summer 2014.

Human Rights Watch described the “Speicher Massacre” – as it has been dubbed in Iraq – as the “largest reported incident” where “ISIS captured more than 1,000 soldiers fleeing Camp Speicher… then summarily executed at least 800 of them”.

Dispensing swift justice, the court issued the death sentences within hours of the start of the trial on Wednesday, based on what a spokesman described as strong evidence and confessions from the convicted men. All pleaded not guilty, insisting that they never took part in the massacre.

A police officer stands guard in front of the Iraqi Supreme court…

REUTERS Members from the Iraqi forensic team search to extract the remains of the bodies belonging to Shi’a soldiers from Camp Speicher who have been killed by Islamic State militants at a mass grave in Tikrit. Hours later, all contact was lost with the soldiers.

After the sentencing, the victims’ relatives raised up pictures of their loved ones. Some burst into tears and others chanted “Allahu Akbar” and “Oh, Hussein”, in reference for a revered Shiite saint and Prophet Muhammad’s grandson.

In previous statements, SJC spokesman Abdul-Sattar Albeirqaddar said that Iraq’s central criminal court had begun prosecuting 28 people suspected of having played a role in the incident.

Medical officials confirmed the death toll.