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Judge throws out Saddam defence lawyer SINAN SALAHEDIN - AP \|\| May 23, 2006 BAGHDAD (AP) - Guards forcibly pulled a defence lawyer out of the courtroom and the chief judge shouted down Saddam Hussein on Monday in a stormy start to a new session of the trial of the former Iraqi leader and members of his regime. The squabble began when chief judge informed defence lawyer Bushra Khalil that she would be allowed to return to the court after being removed in a session in April for arguing with the judge. But when she tried to make a statement, he quickly cut her off, saying, "Sit down." "I just want to say one word," she said, but Abdel-Rahman yelled at the guards to take her away. In anger, Khalil shouted and pulled off her judicial robe and threw it on the floor, then tried to push away guards who were grabbing her hands, yelling, "Get away from me." As she was pulled out of the court, Saddam - sitting in the defendants' pen - objected, and Abdel-Rahman told him to be silent. "I'm Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq. I am above all," Saddam shouted back. "You are a defendant now, not a president," the judge barked. The uproar was in contrast to recent sessions that have been remarkably orderly, after Abdel-Rahman took a tough line to put a stop to frequent outbursts by Saddam and his co-defendants. Abdel-Rahman first removed the Lebanese-born Khalil, the only woman on the defence team, in an April 5 session after she objected to a video of Saddam shown by prosecutors. After the outbursts, the court resumed hearing defence witnesses. Saddam and seven former members of his regime face possible execution by hanging if convicted on charges of crimes against humanity in a crackdown against Shiites in the town Dujail in the 1980s. Hundreds of men, women and children from Dujail after a shooting attack on Saddam's motorcade in the town in 1982. Dozens died in prison, from torture and poor conditions, and 148 were sentenced to death by Saddam's Revolutionary Court for alleged connections to the assassination attempt. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com Monday's first witness was a former staffer of the Revolutionary Court, Murshid Mohammed Jassim, testifying on behalf of defendant Awad al-Bandar, the judge who sentenced the 148 to death. Abdel-Rahman has accused al-Bandar of convicting the Shiites without a proper trial. Jassim, an elderly man who shook his cane at times as he spoke, acknowledged that he did not work at the court at the time of the Dujail trial in 1984. But he insisted the court was "the most fair, the most just . . . (Al-Bandar) is a quiet, polite, fair man." He said the Revolutionary Court always gave defendants a full chance to defend themselves and ensured they had lawyers and that Saddam or his officials never intervened in its proceedings. Referring to the ejection of Khalil, al-Bandar asked Jassim, "Were defence lawyers ever thrown out of court when they tried to make an argument." Jassim said no, "lawyers were always treated with respect in accordance with the law." In earlier sessions, al-Bandar insisted the Dujail trial was "fair and just," saying the 148 defendants confessed. But he acknowledged that there was only one defence lawyer for all 148 and the trial only lasted 16 days. Saddam and his co-defendants have argued that the crackdown was a legal response to the assassination attempt in Dujail. But Abdel-Rahman has said the trial was "swift" with "no chance for appeal" and the prosecution has argued that it was a show trial in which the defendants had no opportunity to present their cases. It has presented documents showing that a number of minors below the age of 18 were convicted, including one as young as 11 years old. The prosecution has also argued that the crackdown went far beyond the perpetrators of the attack on Saddam, sweeping up entire families in an attempt to punish the entire town. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Judge throws out Saddam defence lawyer

SINAN SALAHEDIN - AP || May 23, 2006

BAGHDAD (AP) - Guards forcibly pulled a defence lawyer out of the courtroom and the chief judge shouted down Saddam Hussein on Monday in a stormy start to a new session of the trial of the former Iraqi leader and members of his regime.

The squabble began when chief judge informed defence lawyer Bushra Khalil that she would be allowed to return to the court after being removed in a session in April for arguing with the judge. But when she tried to make a statement, he quickly cut her off, saying, "Sit down."

"I just want to say one word," she said, but Abdel-Rahman yelled at the guards to take her away. In anger, Khalil shouted and pulled off her judicial robe and threw it on the floor, then tried to push away guards who were grabbing her hands, yelling, "Get away from me."

As she was pulled out of the court, Saddam - sitting in the defendants' pen - objected, and Abdel-Rahman told him to be silent. "I'm Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq. I am above all," Saddam shouted back.

"You are a defendant now, not a president," the judge barked.

The uproar was in contrast to recent sessions that have been remarkably orderly, after Abdel-Rahman took a tough line to put a stop to frequent outbursts by Saddam and his co-defendants. Abdel-Rahman first removed the Lebanese-born Khalil, the only woman on the defence team, in an April 5 session after she objected to a video of Saddam shown by prosecutors.

After the outbursts, the court resumed hearing defence witnesses. Saddam and seven former members of his regime face possible execution by hanging if convicted on charges of crimes against humanity in a crackdown against Shiites in the town Dujail in the 1980s.

Hundreds of men, women and children from Dujail after a shooting attack on Saddam's motorcade in the town in 1982. Dozens died in prison, from torture and poor conditions, and 148 were sentenced to death by Saddam's Revolutionary Court for alleged connections to the assassination attempt.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Monday's first witness was a former staffer of the Revolutionary Court, Murshid Mohammed Jassim, testifying on behalf of defendant Awad al-Bandar, the judge who sentenced the 148 to death. Abdel-Rahman has accused al-Bandar of convicting the Shiites without a proper trial.

Jassim, an elderly man who shook his cane at times as he spoke, acknowledged that he did not work at the court at the time of the Dujail trial in 1984. But he insisted the court was "the most fair, the most just . . . (Al-Bandar) is a quiet, polite, fair man."

He said the Revolutionary Court always gave defendants a full chance to defend themselves and ensured they had lawyers and that Saddam or his officials never intervened in its proceedings.

Referring to the ejection of Khalil, al-Bandar asked Jassim, "Were defence lawyers ever thrown out of court when they tried to make an argument." Jassim said no, "lawyers were always treated with respect in accordance with the law."

In earlier sessions, al-Bandar insisted the Dujail trial was "fair and just," saying the 148 defendants confessed. But he acknowledged that there was only one defence lawyer for all 148 and the trial only lasted 16 days.

Saddam and his co-defendants have argued that the crackdown was a legal response to the assassination attempt in Dujail. But Abdel-Rahman has said the trial was "swift" with "no chance for appeal" and the prosecution has argued that it was a show trial in which the defendants had no opportunity to present their cases. It has presented documents showing that a number of minors below the age of 18 were convicted, including one as young as 11 years old.

The prosecution has also argued that the crackdown went far beyond the perpetrators of the attack on Saddam, sweeping up entire families in an attempt to punish the entire town.

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