Saddam Ejected After Trial Starts With New Judge
Nidhi Sharma - All Headline News Staff Writer Baghdad, Iraq (AHN) - On Wednesday, a new chief judge by the name of Mohammed al-Ureybi's takes over Saddam Hussein's genocide trial. First off he ordered the Iraqi leader to be taken out from the courtroom for refusing to sit down moments after hearings began. Defense lawyers also stormed out in protest. "Take him out of the courtroom," Ureybi ordered guards after a defiant Saddam refused to sit down. Ureybi is appointed to replace Abdullah al-Amiri after the government sacked al-Amiri for saying Saddam was "not a dictator." Saddam, his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majeed and five others are accused for war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the 1988 Anfal campaign against ethnic Kurds. Reuters reports that Saddam and Majeed also face the charge of genocide, which if proved could lead to death sentence. All defendants except Saddam remained as the trial continued with testimony from Kurdish witnesses. The decision by Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to replace the prior judge has prompted criticism by some international legal rights groups. They blame government pressure and sectarian violence in Iraq for a non fair trial against Saddam. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters on Tuesday the decision to replace Amiri was made by the cabinet keeping in mind the Iraqi High Criminal Court Law, which allows the government to transfer judges from |
