Saddam's lawyers refuse to attend tribunal
Saddam Hussein’s lawyers are refusing to take part in any further legal proceedings until the Iraqi tribunal acknowledges an attack against the former dictator and guarantees the safety of all defendants and attorneys, one of his lawyers said today.
Members of Saddam’s defence team claimed the former Iraqi president was attacked during a court appearance last week. The government denied the claim.
But lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi, who attended the court appearance, insisted the allegation was true and demanded the government acknowledge it.
He also insisted the Iraqi Special Tribunal apologise, guarantee the safety of Saddam and other former regime figures and punish the attacker.
He said Saddam’s lawyers would stop attending any further proceedings “until our demands are met.”
In Amman, Jordan, Saddam’s legal team said in a statement a man burst out from those gathered in the courtroom and tried to hit Saddam as the ousted leader was leaving the courtroom after a 45-minute hearing.
“There was an exchange of blows between the man and the president,” the statement said, also claiming the judge overseeing the hearing did nothing to stop the assault.
The government and the special tribunal issued statements declaring that no such incident took place.
