BAGHDAD, September 29, -- The brother-in-law and
the nephew of the chief judge in the Saddam Hussein
genocide trial have been murdered by gunmen in
Baghdad, officials have said.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP Friday
that he had personally spoken to Judge Mohammed al-Oreibi
al-Khalifa and had confirmed that Kadhim Abdul
Hussein and his son Karrar had been gunned down late
Thursday in a flashpoint district.
"The brother-in-law and his son were assassinated in
Ghazaliyah while they went to collect some of their
belongings. They have been assassinated by some
unknown group," Dabbagh said, confirming reports
from security officials.
Judge Khalifa is presiding over the trial of Iraq's
ousted leader Saddam Hussein on charges of genocide
during the 1988 Anfal campaign against the country's
Kurdish minority.
Throughout the legal proceedings against the former
strongman, lawyers acting for both the defense and
prosecution have been intimidated, and some members
of Saddam's legal team have been murdered.
But officials were unable to confirm whether the
murders were related to the case, and Dabbagh said
they should not disrupt the trial. |
Chief judge Mohammed Oreibi Al-Khalifa on Saddam genocide
trial. Photo:AP |
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