The first witness testified on court after trial for former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his seven top aides resumed on Monday in central Baghdad.

Ahmed Hassan Mohammed al-Dujaili testified for charges against Saddam and his aides on the 1982 killing of 148 Shiite villagers in Dujail village, north of Baghdad, of which the accused all pled not guilty.

If convicted, the accused may face death penalty.

The third session started early Monday in the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad after two previous adjournments on Oct. 19 and Nov. 28, but Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin ordered a recess shortly after the defense team staged a walkout in protest against the legitimacy of the court and security for the defense team.

Two lawyers in the team have been assassinated.

The hearing was resumed after the judges reversed their ruling, allowing former US attorney general Ramsey Clark and another foreign defense lawyer to address the session.

Source: Xinhua