BAGHDAD 26 May (ANA) - Three French men have been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court after being found guilty of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The men - named as Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou by news agency AFP - have 30 days to appeal.

They were among 12 French citizens who were transferred to Iraq from Syria for trial in February.

French officials are yet to react to the news of the sentence, handed down on Sunday.

However, when pressed on the issue in February, French President Emmanuel Macron declined to comment, saying it was a sovereign matter for Iraq.

The Iraqi courts have so far tried hundreds of alleged foreign militants, but none has been executed as yet.

Human rights groups have heavily criticised such trials, which they say often rely on circumstantial evidence or confessions made during torture.(ANA)

FA/ANA/26 May 2019-----