Letter Reporting Iraqi Laws Punishing Contact with Foreign Intelligence Services

Ministry for State Security

Department II/3

Cottbus, 19 September 1979

IME [Unofficial Collaborator] “Klaus”

report orally received

on 12 September 1979

by Lieutenant Leipner

R e p o r t

In July 1979 I received published material of my party from Murthada in Dresden. Among else, the material shows how laws were now published in Iraq which in part already exist since 1974, but were unpublished until now. The first law No. 141/1974 is concerned with the following:

1. Punishment for Iraqis living abroad who are in contact with a foreign intelligence service. Also foreigners who live in Iraq and maintain contacts to a foreign power will receive the death sentence, if such contacts are proven. It is irrelevant what kind of contacts those were.

2. a) People who work for a foreign intelligence service, or who are with Iraqi intelligence but work for a foreign power, will also receive the death sentence in case of proven evidence.

b) The court can commute the death sentence and change it to a life sentence or a prison term, if the accused informs the court about his crime before he is uncovered, i.e. turns himself in, openly confesses his crime and informs about his collaboration without omissions.

3. a) Such self-confession will not be made public and will not become part of his personal file.

b) Who is seeking again contact with a foreign intelligence service after such confession, will automatically receive the death sentence – unless he committed his deeds on orders by the Iraqi government.

A second law now published concerns a law by the Revolutionary Command Council from 3 July 1978. It stipulates that each member of the Army or Police, including retirees, who had contacts with hostile intelligence services after 17 July 1968, or who had proven sympathies for, or contact with, any other party or political group than the Baath Party, will receive the death sentence.

Signed

“Klaus”