IRAQ plans to hang two of Saddam Hussein's top aides this afternoon

Saddam's men facing the noose

IRAQ plans to hang two of Saddam Hussein's top aides this afternoon despite UN oppostion and anger over the manner of execution of the former Iraqi dictator.

Lawyers scramble to stop Iraqis from hanging Saddam co-defendants

Jeannie Shawl, JURIST

In a statement provided to JURIST Wednesday, Curtis Doebbler, a US lawyer representing al-Bandar, said: The US controlled Iraqi government is planning a second and third summary, arbitrary and extrajudicial execution today in the next few hours. One of the persons who will be executed is Judge Awad Bandar, the judge that presided over the Dujail Trial. He will be killed for being a judge and presiding over a trial, nothing more, because nothing more was proven. In fact, throughout the Dujail Trial Judge Bandar repeatedly asked for the court papers relating to the 1982-1984 proceedings over which he presided to prove that the proceedings were fair. The court and the prosecution said they had these papers, indeed the prosecution introduced 4 pages into evidence, but they both refused to provide the defendant access to the full record.

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