Two of Saddam Hussein's former aides were executed early on Monday, the Iraqi state-run channel reported.

Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam's half brother and former intelligence chief, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, were hanged before dawn after their execution was postponed several times because of international pressures on the Iraqi government following Saddam's hanging.

Badie Aref, the lawyer for former judge Awad al-Bander told the Arabiyah pan Arab news television that his client and Barzan al- Tikriti had been hanged.

"The American's called me last night and informed me to contact Bander's son to pray for his father and get ready recover his body, " Aref said.

"It is a clear sign that they were hanged," he said.

The Iraqi government spokesman will hold a news conference later in the day, Arabiyah said.

The two of Saddam's aides had been found guilty of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shiites from the village of Dujail in 1980s.

Source: Xinhua