Prosecution asks for death penalty against Saddam

A prosecutor has asked for the death penalty against former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and two of his co-defendants, saying today that the former Iraqi leader and his regime committed crimes against humanity in a “revenge” attack on Shiite civilians in the 1980s.

The closing arguments brought the eight-month-old Baghdad trial into its final phase, and after today's session, the court adjourned until July 10, when the defence will begin making its final summation.

Saddam, dressed in a black suit, sat silently, sometimes taking notes, as chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi delivered his arguments, listing the evidence against each of the eight defendants.

Concluding his remarks, al-Moussawi asked for the death penalty against Saddam, his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Taha Yassin Ramadan, a former senior regime member.

“They were spreading corruption on earth … and even the trees was not save from their oppression,” he said.

“Well done,” Saddam muttered sarcastically.