Court rejects request to see Saddam

From correspondents in Amman, Jordan
February 06, 2006
SADDAM Hussein's lawyers said an Iraqi court have denied them access to their client and the decision is part of an illegal plan to convict the former leader at any cost.

It is the first time such a request has been rejected since the former leader was allowed access to lawyers over a year ago, chief defence lawyer Khalil Dulaimi said.
"We were notified by the Americans today that neither I nor the rest of the defence counsel can meet the President or our other clients," Mr Dulaimi said in Amman, adding that the request had been made two days ago.

"They are moving to a speedy conviction ... they have already passed a sentence even before the trial has ended," Mr Dulaimi said. There was no immediate comment from the court.

Saddam and seven co-defendants face hanging if found guilty of crimes against humanity.

The former leader, arrested in December 2003, was granted access to lawyers in December 2004 when he first met Mr Dulaimi, who was joined after the trial began last October by some Arab and foreign lawyers from the defence counsel.


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"Preventing the visits is illegal and prevents the president from having a fair trial," Mr Dulaimi said, adding no justification was given for the refusal.
The defence counsel boycotted court sessions on Wednesday and Thursday on the grounds that newly selected chief judge Raouf Abdel Rahman, whom they accuse of bias, should resign.

"I think they tied our stance on the court by preventing visits to our clients, and this is proof of blatant intervention by the US authorities and their Iraqi backers," he said.

Before the latest showdown Mr Dulaimi and his team spent hours with Saddam after the trial began but he said the boycott would continue until its demands were met.

Despite the absence of Saddam, his co-defendants and the defence team, Abdel Rahman has pressed ahead with the trial, choosing court appointed lawyers and calling a series of prosecution witnesses.

"We will not desert our clients, and insist on our right to defend our clients but not to recognise any lawyer appointed by the court," Mr Dulaimi said, adding that Saddam had refused to meet court-appointed lawyers.

The trial has been marred by delays, the murder of two defence counsel, the resignation of chief judge Rizgar Amin, who complained of government interference, and the replacement of his deputy after he was accused of belonging to the Baath party.

Questions have been raised about the impartiality of Abdel Rahman, who is from the Kurdish town of Halabja, where 5000 people were gassed in an offensive by Saddam's troops in 1988.

"We will hold on to the decision to boycott the trial and not to participate in any future sessions until our reasonable demands for a fair, honest and transparent trial that brings out the truth are met," Mr Dulaimi said.

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