The trial of toppled Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and seven of his co-defendants resumed in Baghdad on Wednesday with hearing a new witness over the Dujail massacre in 1982.

Mohammed Ali al-Haidari, 37, who was 14-year-old boy in 1982 when Saddam visited Dujail in 1982 started his testimony with uttering the name of Saddam, but was protested by Saddam, saying that "he should be saying the Iraqi president." The witness then said "I mean the former Iraqi president."

Haidari said that after a failed assassination attempt aimed at Saddam's life, the then government forces initiated its attacks on the town of Dujail, surrounding farms, searching houses and detaining all his family members, including a six-year-old boy and four sisters along with his 77-year-old father.

"I saw nine bodies in Dujail Baath Party, when they brought several families to recognize the bodies," Haidari said, adding that "I identified eight bodies but the ninth one was an outsider (not the Dujail residents), that's why I didn't recognized him."

The defiant Saddam interrupted the court during the session, demanding the judge to order a recess for prayer time.

"Your Majesty, it is time for noon prayer and we want to pray," Saddam said. But the judge refused his demand, saying "we have now a witness and after we finish we will give you enough time to pray. "

Saddam and his seven co-defendants are accused of crimes against humanity over the massacre at Dujail, where over 148 Shiite villagers executed by the Saddam regime after he survived an assassination attempt in 1982.

Source: Xinhua