BAGHDAD, Oct
21,10:23:53 GMT (Reuters) - A defence lawyer for one
of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants was found shot
dead shortly after being kidnapped late on Thursday,
police said on Friday.
Police said Saadoun Janabi had been shot several
times in the head and chest. Legal sources and
witnesses said he was abducted by up to 20 heavily
armed men from his Baghdad office.
Janabi was a defence attorney for Awad al-Bander, a
former top Iraqi judge who appeared in court with
Saddam and six other men on Wednesday at the start
of their trial on charges stemming from the killing
of more than 140 men in 1982.
The case is the first against Saddam, who is
expected to be charged with crimes against humanity
and genocide for offences during his almost
three-decade rule over Iraq.
Janabi was one of the few lawyers to address the
court at Wednesday's hearing.
He said the defence had had insufficient time to
study the evidence and accused the U.S.-backed
Baghdad government of driving the process.
Reuters |
Lawyer Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, one of two
attorneys for defendant Awad Hamed al-Bandar - one
of seven Baath Party officials being tried with
Saddam Hussein
Former dictator Saddam Hussein
Photo : AFP
|
® 