The trial of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was adjourned until Wednesday, the court in Baghdad 's heavily-fortified Green Zone announced on Monday.

It is the third adjournment of the trial since it kicked off on Oct. 19.

The court adjourned after an hours-long proceeding, which was once disrupted by a walkout by Saddam's defense team in protest against the judges' ruling that prohibited them from addressing the bench.

The defense lawyers returned to the court only after the judges reversed the ruling and granted them right to voice out their impugnment of the court's legitimacy and worries about their safety.

The first prosecution witness testified during Monday's court proceeding against Saddam and his aides for charges of the killing of almost 150 Shiite villagers in 1982.

But Saddam and his seven co-defendents dismissed the testimony as "lies" and slammed the court formed under the US occupation as "illegitimate."

Saddam and his aides face grave charges including mass murder and acts against humanity. If convicted, they might be condemned to death penalty.

The accused have all pleaded not guilty.

Source: Xinhua