Saddam seeks US court order blocking execution

Lawyers for Saddam Hussein tonight asked a US judge in Washington to block his transfer to the custody of Iraqi officials poised to carry out his execution.

Saddam’s lawyers filed documents asking for an emergency restraining order aimed at stopping the US government from relinquishing custody of the condemned former Iraqi leader to Iraqi officials, a spokeswoman for a federal court in Washington DC said.

The documents were being processed and were not immediately made public. The Justice Department has not yet responded to the request.

A similar request by the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, was denied on Thursday and is under appeal. Al-Bandar also faces execution.

The Justice Department argued in that case that US courts have no jurisdiction to interfere with the judicial process of another country.

Al-Bandar argued that his trial violated his rights under the US Constitution but the Justice Department counter argued that foreigners being tried in foreign courts were not protected by the US Constitution.

The appeals court did not indicate when it would rule on the issue.