The top United Nations envoy in Iraq called for the abolition of the death penalty on Sunday after a militant convicted of killing 22 people in an attack on the UN mission’s headquarters was hanged. Ashraf Qazi, special representative of UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, was reacting to the execution of the man blamed for the August 2003 attack that killed his predecessor Sergio Viera de Mello and 20 colleagues. “The United Nations has consistently encouraged states to abolish the death penalty, which it also rejects in cases of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” the envoy’s spokesman said in a statement. Qazi “also reiterated his hope that the government of Iraq would abolish the death penalty and prevent further executions.