The trial of the ousted president Saddam Hussein and seven of his codefendants on charges of crimes against humanity resumed on Sunday with a new Kurdish Judge presiding over the case.

Saddam, 68, and his aides are to make their appearance before the new Kurdish judge Raouf Abdul Rahman, who will be presiding over the eighth session after the court appointed him a new chief judge to replace Rizgar Muhammed Amin in the trial.

Saddam and seven of his aides are facing charges of ordering the killing of more than 140 Shiites in the town of Dujail, north of Baghdad, following a assassination attempt against Saddam in 1982.

Source: Xinhua