Iraqi authorities execute 16 'terrorists'

Iraq's Justice Ministry says it has hanged 17 prisoners, 16 of them for "terrorism", Reuters reported. In a statement on Monday, the ministry said Iraqi authorities had executed 15 Iraqis and one Egyptian convicted of terrorism for "carrying out crimes against Iraqi people". The conviction of the final prisoner was not specified. Two of the 17 hanged were women. The statement did not say when the executions happened. The hangings bring the total number of executions in Iraq this year to 67. Iraq was the fourth top executioner in the world in 2011, after China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and US, according to London-based human rights group Amnesty International. Groups have also questioned whether trials in the Middle Eastern country are conducted fairly.