Saddam's lawyer condemns trial plans

A lawyer for Saddam Hussein today condemned plans to try the former Iraqi leader in a US-funded special court, saying it is illegitimate, and said that he and other members of Saddam’s defence team have been denied access to him.

Saddam and his 11 top lieutenants have been held for months at an undisclosed location, believed to be near the Baghdad International Airport, west of the capital. They appeared before the Iraqi Special Tribunal in July 2004 to face preliminary charges for their activities under the former regime.