Kurdistan Presidency warned of aggravation of political crisis in Iraq due to the death sentence Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi by the Iraqi criminal court on Sunday, Presidency official spokesman said on Monday.

In a statement, the spokesman added that the independence of Iraqi judiciary and respect of its verdicts must be respected by all, nothing that it unfortunate matter to issue a death sentence in absentia against Al-Hashemi during these tense circumstances that the country was going through.

The statement warned that the court’s verdict could aggravate the crisis and trigger ideological conflicts, calling on all parties to solve this issue as soon as possible.

The Iraqi criminal court sentenced Hashemi, who currently resides in Turkey, and chief of his office al-Qahtan to death in absentia for murder of lawyer Suhad Khafaji and national security officer Balasim.