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Kurd appointed as temporary chief judge in
Saddam trial
23.1.2006
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BAGHDAD, Iraq,
(Jan 23) -- A new judge will take charge temporarily
of the tribunal trying Saddam Hussein and seven
co-defendants in the 1982 massacre of more than 140
Shiites, an official said Monday.
Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman, a Kurd, will preside at
the trial that resumes Tuesday, replacing chief
judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin, who submitted a letter
of resignation on Jan. 15 amid complaints of
government criticism in the process, said Raid Juhi,
the chief investigator who prepared evidence for the
Dujail case.
Juhi said Iraqi authorities were unable to resolve
the standoff with Amin, also a Kurd, whose
resignation was the latest complication in the case
which has already seen two defense lawyers
assassinated and a judge step down. |
Former dictator Saddam Hussein
Photo : AFP
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Abdel-Rahman is a judge for the Iraqi High Tribunal
set up to hear cases against Saddam and other former
regime figures, but he was not appointed to the
initial five-member judicial panel that has been
hearing the Dujail case since it began Oct. 19.
His appointment comes as a surprise. Amin's deputy
in the trial, Saeed al-Hammash, was expected to
replace the judge in line with the Iraqi law running
the tribunal.
But al-Hammash has been under pressure since the
Iraqi official in charge of purging government of
members of Saddam's former ruling Baath Party
accused the judge of being an ex-Baathist.
Al-Hammash has denied belonging to the Baath Party,
and a U.S. official has said the de-Baathification
laws introduced after the 2003 toppling of Saddam
don't apply to the tribunal.
AP
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