Defying condemnation of its extensive use of the death penalty, Iraq executed 42 "terrorism" convicts over the past week, the justice minister said Thursday.

"In the course of the past week, the ministry has carried out the death sentences handed down against 42 people, one of them a woman, who were all convicted of terrorism offences, in accordance with Article 4 of the anti-terrorism law," Hassan Al-Shammari said.

Iraq executed 23 people over two days in September, most of them convicted on terrorism charges, the ministry said on 1 October.

Executions in Iraq, usually carried out by hanging, have drawn widespread condemnation from the European Union, the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.