Iraqi officials say Tariq Aziz, long the face of the regime of former leader Saddam Hussein, has died in prison at age 79. They're quoted as saying he had been in poor health.
Aziz, a former deputy prime minister and foreign minister and one of Saddam Hussein's most trusted advisors, was sentenced to death in 2010 for his role in the persecution of Shi'ites in Iraq. But he was never executed.
He was also handed various prison sentences for other crimes.
Aziz - a Christian - was named foreign minister in 1983 and deputy prime minister in 1991 under Saddam Hussein. He was one of the regime's best known figures abroad.