Saddam Hussein appeared in court in Baghdad today for the first time since his hunger strike and hospital stay.

Two defendants in the Baghdad trial of Saddam Hussein made their closing arguments today, but the judge then adjourned for nearly two weeks in an attempt to resolve a boycott of the court by the former Iraqi leader and his lawyers.

The chief judge declared an end to the hearing of defence witnesses in the trial of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad today and said the prosecution will present its closing argument next week.

Saddam Hussein’s former intelligence chief was manhandled by guards as they dragged him out of court today for arguing with the judge, fuelling defence protests that it is being treated unfairly in the trial of the ousted Iraqi leader and members of his regime.

An American lawyer on Saddam Hussein’s defence team today lashed out at the Baghdad court trying him, saying it was not giving the defence enough time to present its case, intimidated its witnesses and put the defence at “a serious disadvantage”.

The defence team in the trial of Saddam Hussein protested today over the arrest of four of its witnesses, saying some of them were beaten by Iraqi guards.

Saddam Hussein’s former intelligence chief was pulled out of the court by guards today in a stormy argument with the judge after the defence accused the prosecution of putting a perjured witness on the stand and trying to buy another witness.

The chief judge threw out one of the top defendants in the Saddam Hussein trial amid fierce arguments today as the prosecution and defence accused each other’s witnesses of lying.

Saddam Hussein and his defence team today complained about unfairness in his trial on crimes against humanity, demanding equal time to present their case and saying one of their witnesses had been killed and others wouldn’t testify because they were wanted by authorities.

Saddam Hussein insisted the defence in his Baghdad trial should get as much time as the prosecution during an argument today between the chief judge and lawyers who were seeking to submit videos as evidence.

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S trial resumed yesterday, and heard that his regime was justified in a crackdown on Shi’ites.

Tariq Aziz, once a close member of Saddam Hussein’s inner circle, took the stand today as a defence witness in the Baghdad trial of the former Iraqi leader.

The chief judge ordered a defence lawyer to be forced out of the Baghdad courtroom and shouted down Saddam Hussein in arguments today at the start of a new session of the trial of the former Iraqi leader and members of his regime.

THE defence presented witnesses yesterday in the trial of Saddam Hussein and former members of his regime, a day after a judge formally charged them with crimes against humanity.

Relatives of defendants in the trial of Saddam Hussein and former members of his regime took the stand in Baghdad today as the defence tried to knock down charges of crimes against humanity that carry a possible death penalty by hanging.

Saddam Hussein was today formally charged with crimes against humanity, including torture of women and children, murder and the illegal arrest of 399 people in a crackdown against Shiites in the 1980s. A defiant Saddam refused to enter a plea.

Saddam Hussein was today formally charged with murder, torture of women and children and the illegal arrest of 399 people in a crackdown against Shiites in the 1980s, bringing the Baghdad trial of the ousted Iraqi leader into a new phase.

HANDWRITING experts authenticated Saddam Hussein’s signature on memos approving death sentences for 148 Shi’ites and the confiscation of farmlands during the 1980s, the judge said yesterday.

Handwriting experts authenticated Saddam Hussein’s signature on memos approving death sentences for 148 Shiites and the confiscation of farmlands during an Iraqi crackdown in the 1980s, the chief judge in the former Iraqi leader’s trial said today.

Handwriting experts authenticated Saddam Hussein’s signatures on more documents related to an Iraq crackdown on Shiites in the 1980s, the chief judge in his Baghdad trial said today.

SADDAM HUSSEIN testified yesterday for the first time at his trial, calling on Iraqis to stop a bloody wave of sectarian violence and instead fight American troops, prompting the chief judge to close the courtroom, saying he was making political speeches.

Saddam Hussein testified today for the first time at his trial in the Iraqi capital Baghdad today and called on Iraqis to stop a bloody wave of sectarian violence.

Saddam Hussein testified today for the first time at his trial, calling on Iraqis to stop a bloody wave of sectarian violence and instead fight American troops, prompting the chief judge to close the courtroom, saying he was making political speeches.

Saddam Hussein today testified for the first time at his trial on charges of killing, imprisoning and torturing Shiites in a crackdown in the 1980s.

A former judge from Saddam Hussein’s regime acknowledged sentencing 148 Shiites to death in the 1980s, but insisted they were given a proper trial and had confessed to trying to assassinate the former Iraqi leader.

Three of Saddam Hussein’s co-defendants testified for the first time today, denying any role in the deaths and arrests of Shiites in the 1980s, as the trial of the former Iraqi leader entered a new phase.

Saddam Hussein’s defence lawyers ended their month-long boycott of his Baghdad trial, attending proceedings today even though the judge rejected their demands that he step down.

Saddam Hussein’s lawyers will attend this week’s trial session, a month after they walked out in protest and accusing the chief judge of being biased against their client, one of the lawyers said today.

After shouts, insults, arguments and walkouts, Saddam Hussein and three of his co-defendants unveiled a new show-stealing tactic: hunger strikes.

SADDAM Hussein and three former officials in his regime yesterday told the court handling their trial that they were on a hunger strike in protest at the judge overseeing the proceedings.

Saddam Hussein and three co-defendants today claimed they had launched a hunger strike to protest against the chief judge in their trial.

Saddam Hussein’s former intelligence chief, Ibrahim Barzan, today insisted that he ordered the release of dozens of prisoners, making his most lively defence yet on charges he was involved in torture and executions in a crackdown against Shiites in the 1980s.

Saddam Hussein shouted his support for Iraqi insurgents, yelling “Long live the mujahedeen” in the latest session of his Baghdad trial today.

Saddam Hussein was forced to attend the latest session of his Baghdad trial today, looking haggard and wearing a robe rather than his usual crisp suit as he shouted: “Down with Bush”.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt today in a line of people waiting to receive government payments, killing six other people and wounding about 30, including children.

Saddam Hussein’s trial is set to resume tomorrow with the ex-Iraqi president and his seven co-defendants vowing to continue their boycott of the proceedings, the former ruler’s lawyers said today.

The chief lawyer representing Saddam Hussein said today he was wrong in reporting that the former Iraqi leader and seven co-defendants would begin a hunger strike to protest the “illegality” of the court hearing their case.

Saddam Hussein’s defence lawyers today said they have all but given up in participating in his trial, insisting the United States and Iraq’s Shiite leaders have fixed the proceedings and urging court-appointed defence lawyers to quit.

TWO prosecution witnesses in the Saddam Hussein trial testified yesterday about torture at the hands of his security forces, but the former Iraqi leader and his co-defendants did not attend because they either boycotted the session or were barred from court.

Saddam Hussein’s trial resumed in Baghdad today without any of the eight defendants in the courtroom.

A female witness, testifying at Saddam Hussein’s trial, said she was stripped naked in prison, hung by her feet and kicked in the chest by the former Iraqi leader’s half brother.

Saddam Hussein and four other defendants refused to attend at a new session of their trial today and their lawyers boycotted the proceedings, demanding the removal of the chief judge, who they claim is biased against the former Iraqi leader.

The start of a new session of Saddam Hussein’s trial was delayed today as his defence lawyers boycotted the proceedings, demanding a new chief judge be removed because of alleged bias against the former Iraqi leader.

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S trial turned chaotic shortly after resuming yesterday, with one defendant dragged out of court and the defence team walking out in protest.