Roundup: Saddam trial resumes, with witness testimony in court

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's trial resumed in central Baghdad on Monday, while heated disputes broke out between judge and defense team and the first witness testified in court.

The hearing started at 11:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) and Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin ordered Saddam and his seven co-defendants to enter the courtroom without handcuffs.

Saddam was the last to enter the courtroom, holding the Koran, the Muslim holy book.

The trial of Saddam and his seven top aides on charges of the killing of Shiite villagers in Dujail in 1982 was the third session after two adjournments on Oct. 19 and Nov. 28 respectively. If convicted, they might be condemned to death penalty.

DEFENSE TEAM WALKS OUT COURTROOM

At the outset, the defense team wanted to question the legitimacy of the court and security of the defense team, but Amin refused to hear.

Shortly after, the defense team, including former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, walked out of the court in protest against the court.

The chief judge then ordered a 10-minute recess, and the session was suspended to give the defense team time to confer.

TRIAL RESUMES AFTER 90 MINUTES

After a 90-minute recess, the trial resumed after judges reversed an earlier ruling, allowing Clark and another foreign defense lawyer, former Qatari Justice Minister Najib al-Nueimi, to address the session.

Amin finally gave a go-ahead to Clark and Nueimi to address the bench over the challenge of the legitimacy of the court and safety of the lawyers.

"This trial can divide or heal. Unless it is seen as absolutely fair, and fair in fact, it will divide rather than reconcile Iraq, " said Clark.

Nueimi, for his part, cast doubt on the legality of the court, slamming it as illegitimate for it was set up under the US-led occupation.

He said the language of the court's law was similar to that of former top US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer.

FIRST WITNESS SHOWS UP

Ahmed Hassan Mohammed al-Dujaili, 38, was the first witness who testified for charges against Saddam and his aides on the killing of 148 Shiite Muslims in Dujail village in 1982 after an attempt on Saddam's life near the village.

Dujaili argued with Saddam and his half brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former top intelligence chief.

"There were mass arrests of women, children and old men," Dujaili said in the court, accusing Barzan of killing a 14-year- old boy.

"To hell. You and your children go to hell," Dujaili replied.

"I remained with my people for 70 days in the Mukhabarat detention. We received brutal torture and insults. They gave us boiled water in summer and the food was scanty," he said in a long testimony.

He added that the investigators tortured his brother in front of his 77-year-old father and he was prohibited from seeing his brother for four years although they were held in the same prison.

Women were delivering babies during their detention in the prisons and some of them died due to torture, he said.

He also accused the then Iraqi authorities of capturing another 64 Shiites in Dujail in 1981 before a planned visit by Saddam, saying that 15 of them were executed in 1985.

Dujaili accused Barzan, then intelligence head, was responsible for the arrest campaigns.

The complainant also asked the chief judge to ensure his safety.

Saddam and his brother Barzan repeatedly interrupted Dujaili's testimony, but the judge ordered them to stop the interruption and promised them that they will have enough time to reply.

Released in 1986, Dujaili said seven of his brothers were executed, two of them under 17, and his brother's daughter also died in the prison.

During Dujaili's testimony, one of Saddam's defense lawyers complained to the court that one visitor threatened him by gestures, and the judge then ordered police to remove the man from visitors' gallery to question him.

After Dujaili's testimony, the judge ordered the court to suspend for half an hour.

SADDAM NOT AFRAID OF DEATH

Saddam told the court that he was "not afraid of being executed " if convicted, while dismissing the testimony by Dujaili.

He also cast doubt over the mental condition of Dujaili, calling for an independent medical examination of Dujaili.

The former Iraqi strongman said the court was under immense pressure and he was not defending himself but the Iraqi people in the court.

He called on Iraqis to "use swords against the enemy army," and asked Amin, a Kurd, not to interrupt him and to give more time to his argument.

After the Monday session, the spokesman of the court said the trial was adjourned until Tuesday.

Source: Xinhua