Home / International / International / International -- Update Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Chief Judge in Saddam Trial Offers Resignation
Adjust font size:  ZoomIn ZoomOut

Iraqi officials were trying to persuade the chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein not to resign yesterday after he announced he would quit in protest at government interference with the court.

"The government has sent a delegation to see him because they are afraid of the damage this will do to the credibility of the tribunal," one of the prosecutors in the trial, Mumkidh Taklif al-Fatlawi, said.

The killings of two defence lawyers have already prompted questions over the US-backed decision to hold the trial in the midst of bitter sectarian and ethnic conflict.

A source close to Kurdish judge Rizgar Amin himself said tribunal officials were trying to talk him out of his decision but he was reluctant to stay on because Shi'ite leaders had criticized him for being "soft" on Saddam in court.

"He tendered his resignation to the court a few days ago but the court rejected it. Now talks are under way to convince him to go back on his decision," he said on Saturday. "He's under a lot of pressure, the whole court is under political pressure.

"I am not sure if he will go back on his decision," said the source, who is familiar with Amin's thinking. "He had complaints from the government that he was being too soft in dealing with Saddam. They want things to go faster."

The last straw, the source said, was a letter criticizing his handling of the trial from radical Shi'ite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, whose movement is part of the ruling Islamist bloc.

The judge planned to explain his reasons for resigning after chairing the next hearing on January 24, the source said.

Technically the departure of the presiding magistrate on the five-judge panel can be overcome by appointing a substitute. But even if he stays, the complaints about government interference from Amin, the much-televized face of the court, may do lasting damage to the credibility of the US-sponsored High Tribunal.

Only one other judge has allowed his face to be shown on television and only Amin has let his name be published.

The killing of two defence lawyers had already highlighted problems with the process amid a virtual civil war between Saddam's fellow minority Sunni Arabs and the US-sponsored government, run by Shi'ite Muslims and ethnic Kurds intent on quickly hanging a man they say massacred their peoples.

Pressure increasing on tribunal

International human rights lawyers have urged US officials and the new Iraqi Government to send Saddam and his aides to an international court abroad while the defence has branded the proceedings "victor's justice" imposed under US occupation.

"The defence team has long warned about the dangers of political pressure that has undermined the court's independence and integrity," Saddam's chief attorney, Khalil Dulaimi, said, praising the "high moral authority" of the presiding judge. "We expect the political pressures to mount," he said.

Miranda Sissons, who has observed the trial for the New York-based International Center for Transitional Justice, said that if Amin quit it would signal that political pressure on the tribunal has had an effect."

In the first trial, which has sat for seven days since October 19 and is due to resume on January 24, Saddam and seven others are charged with crimes against humanity in the deaths of over 140 Shi'ite men after an assassination attempt on Saddam in 1982.

After hearings last month, some observers criticized Amin for allowing Saddam and his co-defendants to speak at length, making allegations, including of maltreatment at American hands.

(China Daily January 16, 2006)

 

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Saddam Pleads Innocent, Trial Adjourned
- Saddam Trial Puts Iraq in the Dock
- Defense Lawyer in Saddam Trial Abducted
- Second Saddam Defence Lawyer Killed by Gunmen
- Saddam Trial Defense Lawyer Flees Iraq
- Saddam Defense Team Expected to Appear
- Defiant Saddam Has Verbal Joust with Judge at Courthouse
- Saddam Trial to Resume with Some Hidden Witnesses
- Saddam Trial Cuts Audio of Female Witness
- Saddam Trial Hears More Claims of Torture
Most Viewed >>
> Korean Nuclear Talks
> Reconstruction of Iraq
> Middle East Peace Process
> Iran Nuclear Issue
> 6th SCO Summit Meeting
Links
- China Development Gateway
- Foreign Ministry
- Network of East Asian Think-Tanks
- China-EU Association
- China-Africa Business Council
- China Foreign Affairs University
- University of International Relations
- Institute of World Economics & Politics
- Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
- Institute of West Asian & African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Institute of Japanese Studies
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美激情中文字幕| 中文在线√天堂| 水蜜桃亚洲一二三四在线| 午夜毛片在线观看| 蜜桃成熟时无删减手机在线观看| 国产特级毛片aaaaaaa高清| 91在线一区二区三区| 日本口工全彩无遮拦漫画大| 亚洲一区二区三区久久| 欧美黑人换爱交换乱理伦片| 伊人这里只有精品| 精品人妻一区二区三区四区| 国产18禁黄网站免费观看| 露暴的楠楠健身房单车| 国产日韩av免费无码一区二区| **肉体一级毛片| 成人免费无毒在线观看网站| 久久久久久久综合| 欧美特黄a级高清免费大片| 国产69精品久久久久777| 香蕉视频在线观看网址| 在线播放无码高潮的视频| а√天堂资源官网在线资源| 日韩av一中美av一中文字慕| 亚洲自偷精品视频自拍| 看黄软件免费看在线观看| 制服丝袜第五页| 精品综合久久久久久888蜜芽| 国产盗摄在线观看| 18欧美乱大交| 女大学生的沙龙室| 三上悠亚在线观看免费| 成人黄色免费网站| 丰满亚洲大尺度无码无码专线| 欧美亚洲国产一区二区三区| 亚洲日本va午夜中文字幕一区| 精品在线第一页| 国产成人无码一区二区三区在线| 中文字幕网资源站永久资源| 国产精品制服丝袜| 天堂www网最新版资源官网|