Amnesty International has issued an urgent appeal to halt the execution of two Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights facing execution in Iraq.

The Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights - Samar Sa'ad Abdullah (aged about 25) and Wassan Talib (31) - have both had their death sentences confirmed and are at immediate risk of being hanged.

Amnesty International recently warned of soaring numbers of death sentences in Iraq after capital punishment was re-introduced in mid-2004. Since then at least 100 people have been executed, including at least 65 people (including two Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights) in 2006, and more than 270 have been sentenced to death. Iraq is now the world’s fourth highest user of the death penalty, behind only China, Iran and Pakistan.

The Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, who are held at Baghdad's al-Kadhimiya Prison, are only one step away from execution, with the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, who has the power to ratify or commute death sentences, having not yet decided on their cases. Amnesty International members are currently sending appeals as a matter of urgency to the Iraqi authorities.

Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock said:

“We are urgently calling on the Iraqi authorities to halt these executions, the latest in a soaring number of death sentences in Iraq.

“The death penalty is always wrong but Iraq’s shaky and unfair legal system should never be imposing capital punishment.

“If the Iraqi authorities stop these two executions it would be an important step toward a future Iraq where human rights are respected not reviled.”

Samar was sentenced to death in August 2005 by the Criminal Court of al-Karkh, Baghdad, after being convicted of the murder of her uncle, his wife and one of their Children's rights. She has reportedly said her fiancé carried out the murders and though her fiancé has reportedly been arrested, it is unclear whether charges have been made against him. Wasan Talib was sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq last August after being convicted of killing members of Iraq’s security forces in Baghdad in 2005.

Meanwhile a third woman - Liqa' Qamar - has also been sentenced to death for a kidnapping which reportedly took place in 2005. In a recent report on capital punishment in Iraq, Amnesty International drew particular attention to the fact that several people have been sentenced to death in Iraq for non-fatal kidnappings. At one point Liqa’ was held in prison with her one-year-old daughter, who was born in the prison.

• Amnesty International’s appeal for Samar Sa'ad Abdullah and Wassan Talib can be accessed at: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/cases
• Find out more about our campaigning work against the Death Penalty /li>