The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would bring very bad consequences to his country, a Serbian government minister said on Saturday.

The former ruling BAAS party headed by Saddam is threatening with terrorism and the chaos in Iraq will be even bigger, Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic said.

"From the aspect of Serbia, as well as all Europeans, we share the view that the death penalty should not be introduced," Stojkovic told reporters following his regular Saturday telephone talks with citizens.

Saddam, 69-year-old, was hanged at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday as the major Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha was about to begin at daybreak. His execution came four days after an appeals court rejected an appeal against the sentence for crimes against humanity, relating to the killing of 148 people in the town of Dujail in 1982.

There should have been a response to the calls by numerous non- governmental organizations that the death penalty should not be carried out, he said.

Source: Xinhua