Labourer who cursed Saddam and Oday had his tongue cut off

FIRAS ADNAN need only open his mouth to give evidence of Saddam Hussein’s legacy. Just before the regime fell, the 24-year-old labourer quarrelled with a Saddam loyalist, who punished him by chopping off his tongue with a box cutter.

Now Adnan awaits the prosecution of Saddam with mixed feelings. He is happy the former dictator will have to answer for his crimes but bitter because he must live with the scars from the regime.

“Saddam will stand trial. But I’m handicapped, so what’s the use?” Adnan said, his slurred words barely comprehensible. “Nothing will give me back my tongue.”