User:Jasonbentvelzen/Trial of Saddam Hussein

The Show Trial (Kangaroo Court) of Saddam Hussein
In March 2003, a U.S. led coalition invaded Iraq to depose Saddam, controversially citing his weapons of mass destruction and terror links. Captured on 13 December 2003, Saddam was brought to trial under the Iraqi interim government on 5 November 2006, he was convicted of charges related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites, after a failed assassination attempt. He was sentenced to death by hanging.

The trial was viewed in some quarters as a kangaroo court or show trial. Amnesty International stated that the trial was "unfair," and Human Rights Watch noting that Saddam's execution "follows a flawed trial and marks a significant step away from the rule of law in Iraq."

International human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and UN bodies such as the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the Iraqi Special Tribunal and its legal process did not meet international standards for a fair trial. The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan declined to support the proceeding, expressing similar concerns over fairness as well as over the possibility of a death sentence in the case.

On 20 October 2005, attorney Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, charged with the defense of the accused, was abducted from his office by gunmen, and found shot dead near his office a few hours later. On 8 November 2005, attorney Adel al-Zubeidi, who had been representing 2 Vice Presidents, was killed by three gunmen in Baghdad. Barazan Ibrahim's lawyer Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie was also wounded in the attack.

On 5 December, Saddam's legal defense team stormed out of the court after questioning the tribunal's legitimacy, and asking about return of defence papers seized by US Army troops and security issues regarding the protection of the defense.

On 23 January 2006, Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman was nominated interim chief judge of the tribunal. He replaced former chief judge Rizgar Amin, also a Kurd, who resigned after complaining of government interference.

On 1 February 2006, the defendants failed to show up in court.

Criticism of the trial

 * Critics, including Saddam's legal counsel Khalil al-Dulaimi, alleged that American officials had a heavy influence on the court. In a statement, Khalil said, "this court is a creature of the US military occupation, and the Iraqi court is just a tool and rubber stamp of the invaders."
 * The television link of the trial was provided by a US company which frequently edited out the sound of what Saddam and other defendants said, and sometimes edited the video as well.
 * Some witnesses were told by court staff what to say.
 * Judges were replaced numerous times, reportedly because of "leniency" towards the defence.
 * All defence lawyers who questioned the court's legitimacy were ejected.
 * A defence lawyer who showed images of US torture was ejected.
 * Witnesses claimed to be forced or tortured to testify.
 * Evidence was allegedly forged in numerous circumstances.
 * Numerous witnesses' statements claimed the accused's innocence.
 * Three witnesses told the court people allegedly killed by Saddam in Dujail are actually alive.
 * A defense lawyer was abducted and killed.