BAGHDAD: Iraq has at least 1,000 people under sentence of death, Amnesty International warned in a critical report on Tuesday, noting that the democratically-elected government had failed to tackle the issue.

The human rights watchdog also cited several recent examples of executions it said showed that use of the death penalty was widespread and lacking in transparency despite the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein six years ago.

"In July 2009, at least 1,000 prisoners were believed to be on death row, including about 150 prisoners who had exhausted all means of appeal or clemency," the report said.

"On May 3, 2009 the Iraqi authorities were reported to have carried out 12 executions," Amnesty said, noting the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights then called for an Iraqi moratorium and review of death sentences.

"Despite this important intervention, the Iraqi authorities are reported to have carried out 19 more executions - hanging 18 men and one woman on June 19," the report added.

Iraq's government has argued that use of the death penalty is needed to reduce widespread violence in the country, but Amnesty said that continued unrest showed that this had not proved an effective deterrent.

"Armed groups have continued to carry out bomb attacks killing large numbers of civilians, including members of ethnic and religious minority groups," the report said.

"These attacks - many of which have been carried out by suicide bombers, who by their very nature, are unlikely to be deterred by the prospect of the death penalty - recently increased in the run-up to and following the June 30 deadline for the pullout of US troops from Iraq's cities and towns," it added.