Saddam rebuked as genocide trial resumes

Baghdad, Sept 26: The judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial opened hearings today with a stern lecture to the former Iraqi leader to behave himself or be kicked out of the courtroom.

''You are a defendant here, you have rights and also obligations. You can defend yourself, question witnesses ... and I am ready to allow you, but this is a court, not a political arena,'' judge Mohammed al-Ureybi said.

''By disrespecting the court, you are only damaging your cause.'' The former Iraqi leader has been kicked out of the courtroom during the last two hearings after protesting loudly against the sacking of the previous chief judge, Abdullah al-Amiri, fired by the government for saying Saddam was ''not a dictator''.

Saddam and six others could face hanging over the deaths of an estimated 180,000 Kurdish villagers in 1988, including thousands killed by poison gas. All the defence lawyers walked out after the chief judge was sacked and have not returned, but court-appointed lawyers are in place.

REUTERS

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