Iraqi Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi, who is charged with running a death squad, will not return to Baghdad to stand in trial.

Iraqi Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi, who is charged with running a death squad, will not return to Baghdad to stand in trial.

Acknowledging that “his guards may have carried out some attacks”, Hashemi who is holed up at an official guesthouse for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in the country's Kurdish region, told AFP that he had no involvement in any of them.

"The Iraqi judicial council is under the control and the influence of the central government, and this is a big problem," Hashemi further said, indicating: “That is why I asked to move the case to Kurdistan... Justice here will not be politicized."

Hashemi stated that he was still fulfilling his duties as vice president, adding that "if I decide to travel outside Iraq, it will be related to my responsibilities as a vice president and not to have political asylum."

The arrest warrant against Hashemi was issued on Monday, after authorities aired footage of the vice president's guards confessing to carrying out attacks, for which they said they received financial and moral support from Hashemi himself.