New judge throws Saddam out of court again

BAGHDAD – The newly appointed judge in Saddam Hussein’s genocide trial threw Iraq’s former leader out of court yesterday, imposing his authority on a legal process marred by political controversy.

The defendant waved a sheet of yellow legal paper from the dock, declaring: “I have a request here that I don’t want to be in this cage any more”. But Judge Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifah fired back: “I am the presiding judge.I decide about your presence here.Get him out.”Bailiffs took Saddam out of the courtroom and the hearing at the Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad – where Saddam is facing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity – continued.Khalifah took over as the trial’s new chief judge last week after his predecessor Abdullah al-Ameri was accused of showing leniency and sacked by the Iraqi government.”You need to show respect to the court and the case, and to those who don’t show it, I am sorry, but I have to apply the law,” Khalifah told another defendant, Sabir al-Duri, who was questioning the day’s first witness.Saddam’s defence team was not in court.The Sunni strongman’s counsel are boycotting the trial and accuse the government of interfering with the court proceedings.Last week, the Iraqi government sacked Ameri after he told Saddam that he had not been a dictator.He was quickly replaced with his deputy, Khalifah, a Shi’ite.”The defence team will not recognise the legitimacy of this court and does not accept the tailor-made decision taken by the occupying forces,” chief defence attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi had told AFP in Amman on Sunday.”It is not about this judge or that judge, but from day one we have protested the legitimacy and the bias of this court,” he argued.Yesterday Duri, the director of military intelligence under Saddam, referred to another accused and former defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Tai by his rank, irritating the judge.Saddam responded by demanding to be excused, whereupon Khalifah ejected him, as he had done last Wednesday when the defendant had protested the replacement of the former trial judge.Nampa-AFPBut Judge Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifah fired back: “I am the presiding judge.I decide about your presence here.Get him out.”Bailiffs took Saddam out of the courtroom and the hearing at the Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad – where Saddam is facing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity – continued.Khalifah took over as the trial’s new chief judge last week after his predecessor Abdullah al-Ameri was accused of showing leniency and sacked by the Iraqi government.”You need to show respect to the court and the case, and to those who don’t show it, I am sorry, but I have to apply the law,” Khalifah told another defendant, Sabir al-Duri, who was questioning the day’s first witness.Saddam’s defence team was not in court.The Sunni strongman’s counsel are boycotting the trial and accuse the government of interfering with the court proceedings.Last week, the Iraqi government sacked Ameri after he told Saddam that he had not been a dictator.He was quickly replaced with his deputy, Khalifah, a Shi’ite.”The defence team will not recognise the legitimacy of this court and does not accept the tailor-made decision taken by the occupying forces,” chief defence attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi had told AFP in Amman on Sunday.”It is not about this judge or that judge, but from day one we have protested the legitimacy and the bias of this court,” he argued.Yesterday Duri, the director of military intelligence under Saddam, referred to another accused and former defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Tai by his rank, irritating the judge.Saddam responded by demanding to be excused, whereupon Khalifah ejected him, as he had done last Wednesday when the defendant had protested the replacement of the former trial judge.Nampa-AFP