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tracked down Kadem Askar, the colonel in the Iraqi intelligence service who conducted the initial interrogation of Bazoft. He admitted that he knew Bazoft was innocent, but that he was powerless to obstruct Saddam
Hussein's orders to have him convicted and executed. That Hussein himself ordered the
225:
said in response to Bazoft's arrest: "Farzad Bazoft is not a spy. He is a reporter who went to do a story. He said in advance the story he was going to do. He told the
Baghdad government where he wanted to go. ... This is not the action of a spy, this is the action of a reporter." Other Western
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even publicly stating on the day before the execution that Bazoft "deserved to be hanged". Bazoft's story nonetheless triggered widespread outrage in the West and contributed to international isolation of Saddam's regime. Months after the incident, on 2 August 1990,
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Following a one-day trial behind closed doors, lacking conclusive evidence of his guilt, Bazoft was convicted and sentenced to death on 10 March 1990. Parish was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but she was released on 16 July 1990 following a plea for
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was stopped by Iraqi authorities before they could reach the plant. Bazoft got through, driven by
British nurse Daphne Parish. Bazoft also asked military personnel in Baghdad hotels and casinos what they knew and was reported by hotel security to the
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in
September 1989, while waiting for his flight back to London. He had 34 photographs of the area of al-Hilla in his luggage, and some soil from near the factory. After six weeks in custody at the
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The release of papers from 1990 at the beginning of 2017 revealed that the
Thatcher government decided to take no action against Iraq out of an anxiety that doing so might risk British exports.
359:: "There was some argument about how British he was – he did have an Iranian passport and that was the decisive thing: he wasn't a British citizen". Bazoft qualified for British residency.
186:. Before Bazoft set off, he learned about a mysterious explosion that had occurred on 19 September 1989 at the al-Iskandaria military complex, 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of
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to being an
Israeli agent. Parish had also been arrested by Iraqi authorities. Before their trial, President Saddam Hussein wrote to British prime minister
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131:; 22 May 1958 – 15 March 1990) was an Iranian journalist who settled in the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s. He worked as a freelance reporter for
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International appeals for clemency for Bazoft had no effect. He was not permitted to appeal against his conviction or sentence, and was executed by
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After finishing his education he began a career as a freelance journalist, contributing articles about the Middle East and, in particular, the
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execution of Bazoft is confirmed in transcripts of taped meetings made by the
Hussein regime and seized during the 2003 invasion.
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Bazoft's body was placed in a rough wooden crate and despatched to his family in the United
Kingdom. Documents seized during the
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Immediately after the execution, Britain recalled its ambassador to Iraq and cancelled all ministerial visits, though the
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Bazoft went to live in the United
Kingdom in 1975 at the age of 16. He was sentenced to 18 months jail after robbing the
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in 1981. The sentence included a deportation order, which Bazoft appealed against successfully in 1983.
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to search for details. He allegedly undertook his investigation with the approval of Iraqi officials.
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confirm that Saddam
Hussein personally stressed the need for Bazoft's execution to take place before
194:'s personal order to keep the matter secret, rumours began to spread that the accident happened in a
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137:. He was arrested by Iraqi authorities and executed in 1990 after being convicted of spying for
304:(which began that year on 16 March), to quash attempts for clemency by the British government.
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390:"Executed by Saddam Hussein: the death of Observer reporter Farzad Bazoft, 20 years on"
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202:, killing dozens of Egyptian technicians involved in Iraq's secret development of
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644:"Saddam Hussein ordered execution of journalist Farzad Bazoft, records reveal"
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734:"'It would be bad for our interests': why Thatcher ignored the murder of an
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Farzad Bazoft: tough UK action to save journalist was not forthcoming
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reporters were also interested in the story, but a camera crew from
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In the Eye of the Storm: Commanding the Desert Rats in the Gulf War
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Radio 4 - Witness - Farzad Bazoft - Observer journalist in Baghdad
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along with other journalists to report on elections being held in
190:. The heavy detonation was heard as far away as Baghdad. Despite
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The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East
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assuring her that Bazoft and Parish would get a fair trial.
178:. In 1989 he was invited by the Iraqi government to come to
250:, Bazoft was put in front of TV cameras on 1 November and
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Norton-Taylor, Richard; McVeigh, Tracy (1 January 2017).
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was not unanimous on the response, with Conservative MPs
543:"Cabinet files reveal plan to shoot nuclear intruders"
615:"My colleague was simply a journalist after a scoop"
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88:
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49:
30:
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355:, chief secretary to the treasury in 1990, told
416:"Reporter Hanged in Iraq Had Once Robbed Bank"
319:supporting the Iraqi government response, and
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452:"1990: Observer journalist executed in Iraq"
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289:Grave of Farzad Bazoft in the east side of
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811:Iranian emigrants to the United Kingdom
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588:"Iraq frees British nurse in spy case"
846:People convicted of spying for Israel
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801:British reporters and correspondents
414:Whitney, Craig R. (17 March 1990).
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841:People executed by Iraq by hanging
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541:Higham, Nick (30 December 2016).
388:Donald Trelford (14 March 2010).
155:Heart of England Building Society
816:20th-century Iranian journalists
642:Luke Harding (26 October 2011).
851:20th-century executions by Iraq
613:Donald Trelford (18 May 2003).
204:medium-range ballistic missiles
821:Iranian people executed abroad
796:British people executed abroad
16:Iranian journalist (1958–1990)
1:
826:Iraq–United Kingdom relations
240:Baghdad International Airport
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806:Burials at Highgate Cemetery
277:at 6:30am on 15 March 1990.
515:Ed Vulliamy (18 May 2003).
228:Independent Television News
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831:Journalists killed in Iraq
233:Iraqi Intelligence Service
168:to news outlets including
334:UK's 7th Armoured Brigade
480:Leader (18 March 1990).
298:invasion of Iraq in 2003
594:. Reuters. 17 July 1990
266:from Zambian president
238:Bazoft was arrested at
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669:"Butchery in Baghdad"
328:, sparking the first
317:Anthony Beaumont-Dark
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856:Executed journalists
711:Patrick Cordingley:
213:, Bazoft headed for
836:The Observer people
326:Iraq invaded Kuwait
209:Sensing a possible
673:The New York Times
420:The New York Times
309:Conservative Party
294:
592:New Straits Times
576:978-1-4000-7517-1
517:"Proved innocent"
291:Highgate Cemetery
256:Margaret Thatcher
244:Abu Ghraib prison
141:while working in
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25:Farzad Bazoft
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745:. Retrieved
742:The Observer
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699:The Guardian
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677:. Retrieved
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648:The Guardian
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622:. Retrieved
619:The Observer
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596:. Retrieved
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550:. Retrieved
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524:. Retrieved
521:The Observer
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486:The Observer
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394:The Observer
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357:The Observer
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171:The Observer
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134:The Observer
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104: 1980s
55:(1990-03-15)
44:Pahlavi Iran
18:
791:1990 deaths
786:1958 births
738:journalist"
679:3 September
624:3 September
598:3 September
552:30 December
526:3 September
491:3 September
462:3 September
425:19 December
399:3 September
129:فرزاد بازفت
114:Middle East
89:Nationality
41:22 May 1958
780:Categories
772:(Guardian)
653:26 October
570:, p. 169,
363:References
336:was named
321:Phil Dicks
198:factory's
84:Journalist
81:Occupation
37:1958-05-22
747:5 January
715:, p. 83,
343:In 2003,
281:Aftermath
184:Kurdistan
149:Biography
736:Observer
547:BBC News
456:BBC News
330:Gulf War
264:clemency
219:Observer
215:al-Hilla
174:and the
159:Brackley
76:, London
302:Ramadan
275:hanging
246:, and,
221:editor
188:Baghdad
125:Persian
111:Subject
92:Iranian
60:Baghdad
719:
574:
196:rocket
139:Israel
97:Period
211:scoop
106:–1990
749:2017
717:ISBN
681:2011
655:2011
626:2011
600:2011
572:ISBN
554:2016
528:2011
493:2011
464:2011
427:2018
401:2011
315:and
180:Iraq
143:Iraq
50:Died
31:Born
176:BBC
157:in
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101:c.
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