AMMAN, Nov 5: Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein urged Iraqis on Sunday to reject the sectarian violence ripping his country apart and to “not take revenge” on US invaders, his chief lawyer said after the ousted leader was sentenced to death.

“The message from President Saddam to his people came during a meeting in Baghdad this morning, just before the so-called Iraqi court issued its verdict in his trial,” Khalil al-Dulaimi told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Baghdad.

“His message to the Iraqi people was ‘pardon and do not take revenge on the invading nations and their people’,” Mr al-Dulaimi said, quoting Saddam.

He said Saddam “knew that he would be sentenced to death and wanted me to pass on this message to the Iraqi people and to the whole world after the verdict was announced.”

Mr Al-Dulaimi also claimed that the security situation in Baghdad was “very dangerous”.

EU’s CALL: Meanwhile, the Finnish presidency of the European Union on Sunday called for Iraq not to use the death penalty against Saddam Hussein, said a statement issued in Helsinki.

“The EU opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances and it should not be carried out in this case either,” it said.—AP/AFP