Baghdad, 29 Dec. (AKI) - Iraq's jailed former deputy prime-minister, Tariq Aziz, is to remain in prison, Judge Raid Juhi, president of the panel investigating deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has told the pan-Arab al-Sharq al-Awsat daily in an interview. Aziz has been in US custody since April, 2003, held in isolation in an unspecified location. A Christian, Aziz was allowed over Christmas to speak to his family for the first time since his detention.

"I have seen Tariq Aziz's file, and this has been handed over to another public prosecutor. No request has been made for his release, because he is still under investigation," said Juhi. Aziz has so far not been charged with any specific crimes.

On Wednesday, a lawyer for Aziz announced he was one of a group of former Iraqi Baath party senior officials who were about to be released. Aziz was not considered a member of Saddam's innermost circle, which was mostly dominated by members of the Tikriti clan. He was 43rd in the United States' set of playing cards depicting the most wanted members of the former Iraqi regime, and surrendered into US custody on 24 April, 2003, days after the invasion of Iraq.

Aziz alleges that decisions to declare war, suppress a revolt or a civil mutiny were taken by Saddam, and had nothing to do with him. However, as a member of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, he has been accused by Indict, the committee seeking to prosecute the Iraqi leadership, of war crimes against Iran, Kuwait and his own people.

As Iraq foreign minister in the 1980s and 1990s, Aziz represented Saddam's regime on the world stage for many years. He enlisted American support for Bagdhad in its 1980-1988 conflict with Iran. After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the the first Gulf war that ensued, Aziz became an instantly recognisable figure in the world media as he shuttled frenetically between foreign capitals, seeking to enlist support for his country.

At home, he survived Saddam's political purges and an assassination attempt by Iranian-backed radicals in 1980.