Defence witnesses begin testimony at Saddam trial

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.

Only three lower-level defendants were in court — Abdullah Kazim al-Ruwayyid, his son, Mizhar, and Mohammed Azzawi — as the first witness took the stand.

The Iraqi system effectively puts the burden of proof on the defence to dismiss the accusations.

The charges represent the accusations the panel of five judges believe the evidence so far has supported. Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman read the charges on Monday after months of hearing prosecution witnesses describe torture at the hands of Saddam’s agents and documents allegedly tying Saddam to a crackdown against Shi’ites in the town of Dujail in the 1980s.

Judge Abdel-Rahman listed 17 people — including women and children — out of some 46 that prosecutors say died in prison or from torture following a 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam in the town.

A group of 148 Shi’ites were sentenced to death for the assassination attempt.

The first defence witness yesterday was a son of Abdullah al-Ruwayyid and brother of Mizhar al-Ruwayyid. He told the court that he did not see either defendant with security forces in the town on the day of the July 8, 1982, shooting attack.

But the testimony turned into bickering after the judge told the witness not to refer to Saddam as “Mr President”.

Chief defence lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said: “The defence team is insisting that President Saddam Hussein is the legal and legitimate president of Iraq and is so despite the [US] invasion.”

“This is a pure criminal case. We don’t have anything to do with politics,” Judge Abdel-Rahman shouted at defence lawyers. “Your witness is here to try to show your clients’ innocence. Ask him questions.”