BAGHGAD, Oct 19
(Reuters) - Rizgar Mohammed Amin is probably not
about to be a household name, but his firm handling,
and occasional wry smiles, on the first day of the
trial of Saddam Hussein has, overnight, made his
face familiar around the world.
In a country where Saddam's supporters still kill
opponents, the presiding judge showed courage on
Wednesday just by agreeing to be named and appear on
television -- a courage for which he is already
known among his fellow Kurds. The four other judges
on his panel remain anonymous and sat out of camera
range.
Amin himself recognised the dangers, telling Reuters
he had adjourned the proceedings for 40 days because
some three dozen witnesses had not dared appear in
Baghdad for the trial. |
Chief
judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin, a Kurd from Sulaimaniyah
city
Photo : Reuters
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"They were too scared to be public witnesses," he
said. "We're going to work on this issue for the
next sessions."
After a three-hour hearing in which Amin listened
politely butreplied firmly, with no sign of
intimidation, to harangues from his own former
president, even Saddam's defence counsel was full of
praise for the judge.
"The judge was very wonderful in every way -- his
performance,his morals ... and how he ran the
court," defence attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi told
Reuters.
His even-handedness will be closely scrutinised. As
a Kurd from the region where Saddam's forces are
accused of genocide and gassing civilians at Halabja
in 1988, many will be quick to 1886352750
INDEPENDENT MIND
In his home town of Sulaimaniya, 80 km (50 miles)
from Halabja, local people spoke of a model jurist
who had shown his independence of mind, standing up,
not only to Saddam's officials but also those in the
autonomous region of Kurdistan.
"People here remember how Amin was never afraid to
take difficult decisions in difficult times," said
one Sulaimaniya journalist who knows the judge.
"Once, he sentenced a top military official in one
of the Kurdish militias to death for killing and
raping a number of people."
Amin was born in Sulaimaniya on 1957, graduated from
law school in Baghdad in 1980 and worked as an
investigating magistrate for 10 years in his home
city.
He was promoted to the senior ranks of the judiciary
in 1993, after the Kurds had secured virtual
independence from Baghdad, and was named to the
special tribunal trying Saddam and his supporters
last year.
Amin's aquiline features, white-haired and with a
grey moustache, remained implacable as Saddam
lectured him for asking him about his identity.
"You are an Iraqi and you know who I am," Saddam
told him.
"These are the procedures. A judge cannot rely on
personal knowledge," the judge fired back.
"He was very clever to act that way because he knew
that the whole world is watching this trial and he
wanted to show that the government is democratic and
the court is independent," Dulaimi said.
Tarik Harb, an independent Iraqi criminal lawyer who
watched the trial, said the Amin had run the
proceedings fairly.
"The judge was relaxed and patient, he did not look
off balance," Harb said. "He was confident."
Amin is married and has four children.
(Additional reporting by Twana Osman in
Sulaimaniya)
Reuters
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