Judge bars Saddam’s half-brother Barzan from court

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The chief judge in Saddam Hussein’s
trial barred the former Iraqi leader’s half-brother and
co-accused Barzan al-Tikriti from attending Tuesday’s session
after guards forced him out of court the day before.

“The court decided to continue keeping defendant Barzan
away for his repeated violation of the order of the court,”
Chief Judge Raouf Abdel Rahman said as the trial resumed at a
heavily-fortified courtroom in Baghdad.

Former intelligence chief Barzan, who like Saddam and six
other defendants face charges of crimes against humanity, was
forced out of court on Monday screaming “This is a
dictatorship” after an argument with Rahman.

More defense witnesses took the stand on Tuesday, and
Rahman said it would be the last day for the defense to call
witnesses. The trial started in October.

On Monday, another judge said two witnesses who testified
for the former Iraqi leader said they had been forced to after
their families had been threatened.

The eight defendants are accused over reprisals that led to
the killing of 148 Shi’ite Muslim men after a failed
assassination bid against Saddam in the village of Dujail north
of Baghdad in 1982.

(Baghdad newsroom, editing by Diana Abdallah)